tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34034433568613801602018-10-21T20:29:12.264-07:00Miso CraftyMelissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.comBlogger537125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-22298173515524986432012-01-24T05:20:00.000-08:002012-01-24T05:20:00.171-08:00Ch-ch-changes<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6753807371/" title="Laptop Keys by MisoCraftyKnits, on Flickr"><img alt="Laptop Keys" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6753807371_e1bd5749f2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">As some of you may have noticed, there's been a few changes made to the blog. &nbsp;I've been wanting to clean up and simplify this space for a while now but the final push to do so came when last week I spent half the day trying to fix a blog post due to formatting issues (which I have mentioned in several posts leading up to this one). &nbsp;I knew it then that it was time to give the blog a li'l makeover. &nbsp;So I changed the template to something simple, cleaned up my sidebar, and got rid of the funky fonts. &nbsp;I had major hopes that all my housekeeping would be the key to fixing my formatting issues. &nbsp;It kinda worked. &nbsp;I really liked the changes that I had made but I still spent a few hours trying to write and fix a post that just ended up not happening. &nbsp;Ugh. &nbsp;It's definitely&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: arial;">time to switch my game plan here.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">I've been thinking long and hard about this, had&nbsp;arguments with myself, weighed the pros and cons, and finally came down to the decision to re-brand and to buy my own domain. &nbsp;Yup. &nbsp;That last one was a huge decision for me to make, but one that I've been thinking of doing for the past few months. I finally just bit the bullet and did it. &nbsp;So this will be the final post on this blog. &nbsp;Don't worry, I don't plan on ever deleting this blog, and all previous posts will still be up for your viewing pleasure. &nbsp;I'll still&nbsp;be keeping an eye on this blog, you know, to make sure the comments are being spammed and that the photos and links are still working. &nbsp;I know that some people have posts and videos that link to this blog and I don't ever want people to not be able to find my work, nor do I want people to have to go and re-link everything. &nbsp;But from now on you can find me at:</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.misocraftyknits.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iu8AuWj_8ck/Tx6AehYC_mI/AAAAAAAAASU/gPgVXSEMOnY/s400/MisoCraftyKnits+-+Yarn+Ball+Link.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.misocraftyknits.com/">www.misocraftyknits.com</a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Starting tomorrow I'll be posting at the new blog! &nbsp;So don't forget to update your feeds, readers, bloglines, and/or blog lists with the new website address. &nbsp;If you subscribe by email, head on over to the new site and sign back up on the new blog. &nbsp;Oh! &nbsp;And while you're there, don't forget to follow me! &nbsp;Once on the new site you will notice that the old blog and the new blog look eerily the same. &nbsp;I guess you can say that I used this blog's last days as a guinea pig, and I wanted the transition from old to new to be easy...on me. &nbsp;I know, I know...how selfish am I? &nbsp;To make it even easier I had also transfered over all posts, just to make it easier to find stuff. &nbsp;I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of having a million browsers/tabs open just cause I'm searching for one little thing.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Ok, well...I guess that's it for me! &nbsp;Ok little blog. &nbsp;We had some moments together...the good, the bad, the ugly, and now it's time for me to say "smell you later!".</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">As for you blogging friends, see you on the new website!</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: arial;">♥ Melissa</span>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-15863089952722347722012-01-22T11:12:00.000-08:002012-01-22T11:12:50.496-08:00Down Time<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6702125657/" title="MadTosh Vintage - Steam Age Group by MisoCraftyKnits, on Flickr"><img alt="MadTosh Vintage - Steam Age Group" height="427" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6702125657_edab9482a9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well hello there! &nbsp;Fancy meeting you here! &nbsp;It's been quiet around here lately, hasn't it? &nbsp;Yeah...and trust me, it wasn't by choice. &nbsp;I've tried to make a post, <b>twice</b>, but it just wasn't in the stars for me. &nbsp;The first attempt I had written a longish post and had all my photos inserted and everything. &nbsp;It was awesome. &nbsp;But sometime during the writing process Blogger or something must have signed me out because when I clicked the 'publish' button I was taken to a page that told me that I needed to sign in before I could perform such activities. &nbsp;I had lost the entire post. &nbsp;I was so not impressed. &nbsp;Defeated but determined to post, I wrote another post but a much shorter version of the original. &nbsp;This time I made sure I was signed in, I had saved a million times, all was good in the hood. &nbsp;Until I went to publish the stupid post.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm actually surprised that I still have hair left on my head. &nbsp;Yes, the post looked good in the draft stage but when I checked it out in the preview...that was another story. &nbsp;I know I've mentioned it before, but I've been having major formatting issues lately. &nbsp;My posts have been appearing in three different fonts with text of varying sizes, major spaces between paragraphs and photos, and photos themselves are showing up either super big or really small but always un-centered. &nbsp;All attempts to fix these problems in the "normal" way were fruitless and I would have to go in and html the crap out of the post, and trust me when I say it was pure hell. &nbsp;I don't know html at all, but can tell that within one sentence there were at least 6 different commands...for text and size, sometimes for position. &nbsp;Now imagine an entire post having each and every sentence like that. &nbsp;Oh yeah...I was sitting there for hours trying fix the one post! &nbsp;I got fed up and decided to nix it altogether.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I noticed that I started having these issues ever since I tried to make a post via mobile. &nbsp;Then it got worst when I messed around with the fonts in my blog layout. &nbsp;Sadly, all my issues are due to settings within the computers that I've made posts from. &nbsp;Yeah...apparently my phone has settings but that is all within the app. &nbsp;So even if I do figure out the settings on my computer, the phone settings are out of my control. &nbsp;Even deleting the app doesn't help. &nbsp;Trust me, I tried. &nbsp;I'm not saying don't download the Blogger app, cause it does work. &nbsp;I had it on my old phone and have blogged from it before and it had worked just fine. &nbsp;I guess the combo of the camera apps mixed with Blogger mixed with whatever else I had done was something that Blogger didn't like. &nbsp;At all. &nbsp;And now I must pay for it. &nbsp;With each post. &nbsp;Le sigh.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok. &nbsp;Enough of my blogging issues!! &nbsp;I promise! &nbsp;Onto some <b>knitting content</b>. &nbsp;I've been knitting like a fiend but not getting anything finished. &nbsp;Why? &nbsp;Well, I was in denial for the longest time and finally admitted to it last week. &nbsp;I had a bout of Starteritis. &nbsp;It wasn't pretty. &nbsp;Let's just say that I have used every single cable I own for my interchangeable needle set, all my sock needles in my favourite size (2.25mm/US 1), plus a few fixed needles from other sets...all occupied with projects. &nbsp;I am not proud. &nbsp;This is why lately I've been feeling like a chicken with my head chopped off when it comes to my knitting. &nbsp;I seriously had wanted to cast on every.single.project I plan to knit this year, and then some. &nbsp;My house looks like a yarn shop had exploded, you can't look anywhere without spotting a skein or cake of yarn sitting there, attached to some needles that have had only a few rows knitted up. &nbsp;Although a while ago I finished my <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2012/01/wip-orchid-audrey.html" target="_blank">Orchid Audrey</a> cardigan, so I do have one project off the needles. &nbsp;It still needs the ends woven in and a good blocking. &nbsp;I'm hoping sometime next week I can head over to <a href="http://www.buttonedup.com/" target="_blank">Button &amp; Needlework Boutique</a> and find some buttons for it. &nbsp;I had taken my cardi to knit night on Friday for some opinions as to what kind of buttons I should get. &nbsp;The lovely ladies all had wonderful ideas, so now I know what I'm looking for. &nbsp;Just hope B&amp;N has it!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I was having blogging issues I was kinda turned off of the computer for a bit, but it's amazing just how much knitting you can get done when you're not busy staring at photos of yarn, surfing Ravelry, checking your email every five minutes, and having your time sucked in by <strike>Crackbook</strike> Facebook. &nbsp;I hadn't even bothered to upload photos from my camera either (I'm still trying to take photos of the stash)! &nbsp;And I'm usually always on top of that! &nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brett will be leaving for the mainland tomorrow and will be gone for a handful of days, so I'm not sure just how much knitting will get done in the next few days. &nbsp;I think the Starteritis has tapered off for a bit cause yesterday I was actually able to knit and concentrate on just one project! &nbsp;If I keep it up, I just might be able to get it finished by mid-week! &nbsp;Yay! &nbsp;Something to show you guys!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of which, maybe I should get off the computer and get back to the needles...</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy the rest of the weekend!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS: Cause I'm sure someone will email me and ask, the yarn in the photo above is Madelinetosh Vintage in Steam Age. &nbsp;I heart this colourway so much! &nbsp;I think I have a sweaters worth in this base but am still trolling for patterns that will mesh well with the colours. &nbsp;Any suggestions?</span>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-80373582020933773172012-01-19T08:27:00.000-08:002012-01-19T08:46:44.474-08:00Snow Day<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span ><a title="A Bad Snow Day by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6726165839/"><img height="449" alt="A Bad Snow Day" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6726165839_0820fb0ddd_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span >I wish I could say we had an awesome time in the snow yesterday. Actually, I wish I could say we had an awesome day in general. But sadly, we didn't. Not at all. If anything, it was probably one of the worst days that we've had in a <b>long</b> while. I had woken up to the scene of a beautiful winter wonderland with snow still sprinkling to the ground. I had immediately envisioned frolicking in the snow, building snowmen, having snowball fights, making snow angels, giggling, laughing, and basically staying outside until our cheeks are red, our hands are so cold you can't feel them any more, and our feet are blocks of ice. I had envisioned coming inside for mugs of hot chocolate, snuggling under blankets on the couch, playing a few video games in an attempt to warm up. Maybe do a little baking. Maybe do a little knitting. Yes, I had envisioned a wonderfully perfect winter day.</span><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial; ">Um...yeah. </span><b style="font-family: arial; ">Envisioned</b><span style="font-family: arial; "> is the key word here. What really happened?</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; ">Tantrums. All.day.long. Over putting socks on. Over putting snow pants on. Over putting the new snow boots on. Over wanting to wear sneakers, not the boots. I want the brown sweater with the orange stripe, not the orange sweater with the brown stripe! I don't want to eat apple slices, I want a bowl of cereal!</span><br /><br /><span >And that was just with the Munchkin. </span><span >I won't go into the gory details of it all but let's just say that a few adult tempers flared and I guess you could say that everyone in the family had at least one tantrum throughout the day. But the majority of the tantrums were by those who are 3 feet tall (FYI: I'm 5 feet tall). Some people had grand plans of doing absolutely nothing, since they too were having a snow day. This also involved doing minimal help in the child care department. Others just simply wanted at least a ten minute break.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; ">Suffice to say that it was just a bad day for everyone all around. Yes, we did end up going outside. Yes, the Munchkin had fun. Yes, hot chocolate was had. No, baking did not happen. Neither did the knitting. No video games were involved either. The house was beyond cold all day long, even though the heaters were on full blast. We all went to bed extremely early.</span><br /><br /><br /><div><i style="font-family: arial; ">Sigh.</i></div><br /><div><span >I hope you had a much better snow day than we did.</span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-16326904208886733532012-01-18T07:39:00.000-08:002012-01-18T08:18:50.128-08:00Shiny Things<p align="center"><a title="Hot pink stitch markers by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6689633617/"><img height="640" alt="Hot pink stitch markers" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6689633617_c3e00e2ffc_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></p><span style="font-family:arial;">Here's a tip on how to keep the motivation for knitting going: get your hands on some darn pretty stitch markers! Like these gorgeous ones from </span><a style="FONT-FAMILY: arial" href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/liisukkashop">Liisuuka</a><span style="font-family:arial;">. Obviously I gravitated towards the pink ones! I couldn't decide between the hot pink or the cotton candy pink markers, so I did what any insane knitter would do. I got both sets. Then I spotted the beautiful turquoise set (sorry, my photo does not do the colour any justice...I just can't seem to get my camera to like blues) and bonus, they were on sale! You just know I added those bad boys to my shopping cart!! I had to quickly checkout before I went too crazy and added the whole shop to my cart.</span><br /><p align="center"><a title="Stitch Markers - Group by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6689633845/"><img height="333" alt="Stitch Markers - Group" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6689633845_4945cec6cf.jpg" width="500" /></a></p><span style="font-family:arial;">I </span><strong style="FONT-FAMILY: arial">very</strong><span style="font-family:arial;"> impatiently waited for my new stitch markers to arrive. I'm one of those people who buys something online and then expects it to arrive at my doorstep the very next day. Admit it, you're like that too. Sadly, when my package arrived in Victoria my postal worker didn't put it in my mailbox. I'm all frowny face about that. Instead my lovely stitch markers went directly to the post office. Luckily for me I've developed quite the relationship with all the ladies at my local post office, and so when one of them had spotted me at the grocery store across the street from said PO she kindly informed me that I had a package waiting for me. She and the rest of the crew were wondering when I was going to pick it up since they hadn't seen me in a few days. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, or a bad one.</span><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a title="Suomi Stamps by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6689638195/"><img height="333" alt="Suomi Stamps" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6689638195_0ccdaa963c.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family:arial;">Here's a geeky factoid about me: I absolutely love foreign stamps and packaging. If it weren't for the fact that I already have a few hobbies that take up a lot of my time and space (and my obsessive attention), I would totally have a stamp collection. The <del>hoarder</del> <del>pack-rat</del> sentimentalist in me didn't have the heart to recycle the envelope that my stitch markers came in so it currently sits on my dresser, propped up against a picture frame, serving as a gentle reminder that maybe one day I'll be able to return to Finland. Geeky factoid #2: I have a <strong>major</strong> soft spot for all things Finnish. Seriously. The pulla, the riisipiirakka, the architecture, the designs, the language (my favourite saying - "<em>haluaisin poikaystävä</em>". Not that I was looking, I just liked how it sounded), the paying the washing machine to do my laundry via mobile phone, paying for my orange Fanta at the vending machine via mobile phone, doing anything via mobile phone. Really, if it's Finnish, I'll probably love it. Ok, maybe not so much salmiakki. That's a Finnish thing I don't really care for. </span><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a title="Stitch Markers Label by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6689633703/"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img height="333" alt="Stitch Markers Label" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6689633703_4f523d225f.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Since I was Liisa's first customer I also scored a sweet little present: a handmade crochet reflector! She even made it in pink for me! How incredibly awesome is that?? Kiitos paljon </span><a href="http://socks-a-plenty.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;">Liisa</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">!! ♥</span><br /><p align="center"><a title="Crochet Reflector by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6689638081/"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img height="333" alt="Crochet Reflector" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6689638081_d77cfce0b5.jpg" width="500" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">I know a lot of you are thinking "<i>WTF is a reflector? Do I need one? Is this a new knitting tool?</i>". Ok, I'll admit that I'm kinda cheating here. The only reason why I even know what a reflector is and what it is for is because of my time in Finland. In my first week in Helsinki, my fellow Canadian and good friend Kat, and I had ventured out of Pasila (we were still quite jetlagged) and had stopped by an S-Market for some groceries. While at the checkout we were scoping out the section of impulse buys and had spotted a box of random gadgets that looked like they belonged on a bike. Not knowing what they were for but knew it was too cute to pass up, we each bought a little doohickey solely because it was Finnish. I'm sure our cashier judged us thoroughly by our purchases: a package of coffee, a box of tea, apples, toilet paper, a household cleaner of sorts, a scrub brush, various packages of noodles, a can of what we thought was tomato sauce (it wasn't), several Geisha bars (ok, that was just me. I think I gained at least 5 pounds just from constantly shoving Geisha bars into my face. We won't talk about the flatmate that worked at a cafe that let her take home day old pastries...let's just say we had an endless supply of pulla, cinnamon buns, and danishes...my mouth is watering at the memories), and that random thingy. We took our cool looking thing to school the next day and asked our "Finnish Mommy", </span><a href="http://pagenumber3.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;">Mauri</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, what it was. He laughed at us (he was always laughing at us...but in a good way, I think) and told us that it was a reflector for our bag. Since Finland gets dark really early in the winters it was best to practice safety in making sure we could be seen at night.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a title="Moomin Reflector by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6689638283/"><img height="333" alt="Moomin Reflector" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6689638283_648e769173.jpg" width="500" /></a></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family:arial;">The reflectors that we had bought were </span><a style="FONT-FAMILY: arial" href="http://www.moomin.com/eng/index.html"><span style="font-family:arial;">Moomin</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> themed. Mine in particular was a character called Little My, a mischevious little thing that lives with the Moomins. My Polish flatmate used to tell me that I reminded her of Little My all the time. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not, but she would always tell me it's because I was always "so tiny" and hyper, and would always have a smile on my face that made me look like I was up to no good.<br /><br />My Moomin reflector is still on my backpack, my new reflector is on my knitting bag, and I have cast on a new project just so that I could use one of my new lovely stitch marker set. But I'm thinking I should cast on another project just so that I can break open another set...this could be the Starteritis talking.</span>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-45384945195343855912012-01-17T08:50:00.000-08:002012-01-17T11:09:26.346-08:00Helter-Skelter Tuesday<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:0;"><a title="MadTosh Vintage - Turquoise Group by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6702140689/"><img height="427" alt="MadTosh Vintage - Turquoise Group" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6702140689_6c4000c385_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;">Where has the time gone? I can't believe the weekend has already come and gone! I feel like I haven't posted in ages. Guess what I was doing this entire time? Knitting. Who would've thunk it? A knitting blogger, actually knitting? Anyhoo, I woke up this morning feeling a bit discombobulated. Most likely from being so scatter-brained all weekend and not being able to concentrate on one thing. At all. So I give you yet another post about random thoughts. That, and I'm having a hard time keeping my attention on the task at hand.<br /><br />- for the past few weeks I've been waking up at un-godly hours. Like at 4 or 5am and not being able to fall back to sleep. As a result I've been falling asleep at like 8 or 9pm at night. It's messing up my crafting time...oh yeah, and my solo time with Brett.<br /><br />- I kinda like being up so early in the morning. It's very peaceful. I feel like I have the house all to myself and I can enjoy my first (and sometimes my second and third!) cup of coffee without any interruptions, I can knit for an hour and not worry about doing the dishes or the several loads of laundry. And most importantly, it's nice to have the "me time" that I desperately need.<br /><br />- I find that 9am is when I've been feeling the most energetic, which is saying a lot considering that I still feel like I'm in slo-mo 99.9% of the time. 9am is when the lethargy lets up just a smidge that I can actually do something without fighting the heavy eyelids.<br /><br />- so what have I been doing at 9am pretty much every morning this past week? I dance. To Dance Central. And BEP Experience. I kid you not. I think I've even lost a few pounds. I've been working up such a sweat that there's been a few times where I had to peel down to nothing but a tank top and shorts. But I'm going to put it out there that whatever you do, DO NOT put on high heels out of curiosity and try to do a dance routine in them. Just don't. Let's just say that I have a whole new respect for Fergie for not only singing and dancing at the same time, but for doing it in such restricting outfits and killer heels.<br /><br />- my feet still hurt.<br /><br />- I lost my battle with Starteritis.<br /><br />- I've been fighting the Starteritis since the beginning of the month, but should've known that it was going to happen one way or another. A hint that it was going to hit: when I had started a pair of socks, a scarf, and a sweater in one day. Another hint: you have have cast on three new sweater projects in a week.<br /><br />- one of the sweaters that I had cast on was going along swimmingly. Then I hit a bump. I turned to Ravelry to find some answers, only to find out that mathematically the pattern in my size just doesn't work. Knitters who have made my size improvised the entire time. The designer even commented that she was going to work on the pattern over the weekend. So I put the project down and started another (so clearly, the designer is at fault for why I started another sweater!). Then I discovered this morning that my size was omitted from the pattern. Crap.<br /><br />- I'm way too far into the pattern to frog the whole project.<br /><br />- I don't think I'm experienced enough to fudge it to make the pattern work.<br /><br />- I think I'm going to try anyways. But am going to have to wait to give it a go for another early morning, when I have complete and total uninterrupted time to concentrate.<br /><br />- as if starting three new sweaters wasn't enough knitting for my plate to handle, I picked up a long forgotten WIP that was part of a KAL a few of the girls in my knitting group and I have started. I'm now entranced with this project and have now abandoned the freshly cast on projects.<br /><br />- I may or may not have joined the newest round of the <a href="http://knitterlythings.com/shop/index.php?_a=viewProd&amp;productId=656">Vesper Sock Yarn Club </a>by Knitterly Things that will commence February. I am not at fault here. I have a <strong>major</strong> weakness for self-striping yarns. Technically this does not count towards my "no-buy" months, as this is a club. Um...can you say loop hole!<br /><br />- speaking of self-striping yarns, I received a few skeins at knit night on Friday from my friend Em of <a href="http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/EverythingOld">Everything Old</a>. These yarns also do not count in my "no buy" policy because we were in talks of doing these skeins since November.<br /><br />- I told you I could find loop holes in anything. Even within my own rules.<br /><br />- I recieved some more yarn in the post last week that's part of a yarn club. It's staring at me, begging to be turned into something. Now. I'm finding it extremely hard to resist its allure and want to wind up a skein of it...just feel the yarn glide through my fingers...and maybe knit up a swatch...but I will NOT cast on a new project.<br /><br />- this grey and gloomy weather is really putting a damper on my photography time. The natural light in my place currently sucks and so I will have to dig into the "archives" and see what I can find. I'll apologize now if you keep seeing the same photos over and over. Anyone have any tips on how to get decent photos indoor? So far the natural light bulbs are doing nothing for me. Le sigh.<br /><br />- I'm also having some major issues with Blogger in the formatting and font. It's kinda turning me off of blogging. My Google-ing has not turned up anything valuable in terms of how to fix these issues and am wondering if I'm going to have to live with having blog posts that are written in several different fonts and sizes, without having to manually go into each post to fix it.<br /><br />- I think I'm going to dance to Poker Face to let off some steam.</span>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-2772169631951981432012-01-12T11:47:00.000-08:002012-01-18T07:59:20.728-08:00Fresh Off The Needles: Neither Here Nor There Hat<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:0;"><a title="Here and There Hat - Collage by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6684936269/"><img height="398" alt="Here and There Hat - Collage" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6684936269_d162722695_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Yes! The first FO for 2012! I'm sure you were expecting Brett's cardigan to be the first but I <b>really</b> needed a break from that thing. Maybe it's the time of year, y'know new beginnings, fresh starts, and all that jazz, but I couldn't even wait a full day into the new year without itching to cast on a brand spanking new project. So what does a knitter do when that feeling arises? Wind up some yarn of course! I knew that I wanted a quickie project that could be whipped up within a day (or two) just to get that Starteritis edge off my back and so that I could continue on with the regularly scheduled program once done. I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">already knew what pattern I wanted to make, as it was one that has been on my mind ever since I saw it. A hint that I knew I was going to eventually knit up the pattern: I already had the yarn picked out in my head and was mentally winding it into a yummy yarn cake while I was still sitting at the computer desk staring at the pattern.</span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a title="Here and There Hat - Garter Side by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6684935475/"><img height="328" alt="Here and There Hat - Garter Side" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6684935475_906f38a336.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">When I first laid eyes on Veera </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">Välimäki's newest collection, <a href="http://100-rain.blogspot.com/2011/12/follow-lines.html">Follow The Lines</a>, I just knew that I would most likely be knitting that entire collection. So I'll forewarn you now that this will be the first of the four from this collection! <span class="Apple-style-span">Veera </span>Välimäki is one of my favourite knitwear designers, and I know that along with <a style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial" href="http://janerichmond.blogspot.com/">Jane Richmond</a>'s, I can pretty much guarantee that I will like whatever they design. They both have clean and simple aesthetics that I love, and when paired with the right yarn, whatever pattern you knit of theirs will become an instant classic in your wardrobe. I love their no-fuss pattern directions too and most importantly, their consistency in <b>everything</b>.</span><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Anyhoo, back to the hat. So this here is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/here-and-there">Here and There Hat</a>. I used SweetGeorgia Yarns Superwash Worsted in the Riptide colourway and leftover Tough Love Sock (held double) in Slate that I had used for my <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/10/finished-north-wind-hat.html">Northwind Hat</a>. I was actually saving the Superwash Worsted to knit another Northwind Hat, but after seeing the Here and There Hat, I knew it had to be that instead. I absolutely LOVE Riptide in the most unholiest of ways. So much so that I just have to have it in every SweetGeorgia base. Remember how I mentioned in my <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2012/01/stashdown-2012.html">Stashdown 2012</a> post that yarn can make you go crazy? How you can see an absolutely gorgeous yarn that you just had to make it yours, just to go home and find out that you already had three skeins of that yarn in your stash? Yeah well, Riptide is one of them. The sad part of it? I didn't return those extra skeins. The yarn hoarder in me kept them. I'm not proud.</span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a title="Here and There Hat - Cable Side by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6684935355/"><img height="334" alt="Here and There Hat - Cable Side" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6684935355_b094986c39.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; ">I've never knit with SGY Superwash Worsted before and I'll say it now, for the record, this will definitely not be the last time. I love the squishy-ness of it and how it gives such great stitch definition. It makes me super happy to know that I have more in the stash, I'm so tempted to cast on another project using this yarn! Is it wrong that I want more Riptide?</span><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a title="Here and There Hat - Cable Closeup by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6684935229/"><img height="325" alt="Here and There Hat - Cable Closeup" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6684935229_2058dba466.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; ">This project was completed last week and I've only gotten around to taking photos of it now. I couldn't pin down Brett long enough to get his help, and when I did we had our...ahem, artistic differences. So I've resorted to jimmy-rigging the camera for some self-portraits (note to self: find out where Brett hides the tripod). I give much kudos to people that can do self-portraits and can do it well. I felt like some weird internet hoochie trying to hock my wears while kneeling on the bed, trying to get my camera remote to work. Half of my photos came out with me looking extremely uneasy with the whole process!</span><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">This pattern is super quick and easy...that is, if you pay attention to the directions. I was a bad knitter and didn't swatch. I'm so glad that the hat ended up fitting me! Although I did get gauge, I could have gone down a needle size, especially on the brim. I like the brims of my hats to be a little on the snug side cause hats tend to slide off my weirdly shaped head, and I know that over time the hat can stretch a little. Having the brim slightly tighter than normal usually helps out in that department for me. Speaking of weird heads, I always thought I had a ginormous head (not freakishly big like Brett's, just bigger than average) so I thought knitting a extra inch in the length would help. Um...no. I had knit the hat, bound off, and tried it on. The hat was freakin' huge. And not in a good way. I have a feeling that I mis-read how long to knit the hat to and had knit way past the 8.25" mark. I measured and re-measured and had to rip back so that the length from the CO edge was 6.25" before re-knitting the decreases. </span></span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a title="Here and There Hat - Crown by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6684935089/"><img height="333" alt="Here and There Hat - Crown" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6684935089_ec4d4c54f6.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">I've been wearing this hat non-stop ever since it came off the needles. I didn't even care that when I went to knit night last week that my entire outfit didn't make any sense. Yes, I did wear stripes and houndstooth <b>at the same time</b>. I'd like to say that I was trying to be fashionably avant garde but really, I was just being lazy. </span><span style="font-family: arial; ">This hat couldn't have come at a more perfect time too. It's time to wash my Northwind hat and the drying process will most likely take a few days. This hat guarantees that my head will still stay warm during that process.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; ">I have half a ball of yarn leftover in the Worsted and have no idea what to do with it. For a while there I was tempted to knit another hat using a different contrasting colour, but something tells me to save it for next winter when the Munchkin is a little older (and will hopefully be more appreciative of hand knits) and will need a new hat. Actually, I think I might do that. In the meantime, I have other patterns calling my name...</span><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:0;"><a title="Here and There Hat - Cable Side 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6684935575/"><img height="500" alt="Here and There Hat - Cable Side 2" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6684935575_74592211aa.jpg" width="440" /></a></span></div><br /><b style="font-family: arial; ">Hat Details:</b><br /><b style="font-family: arial; ">Pattern:</b><span style="font-family: arial; "> </span><a href="http://100-rain.blogspot.com/2011/12/follow-lines.html" style="font-family: arial; ">Here and There</a><span style="font-family: arial; "> by Veera Välimäki</span><br /><b style="font-family: arial; ">Yarns: </b><a href="http://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/" style="font-family: arial; ">SweetGeorgia Yarns</a><span style="font-family: arial; "> Superwash Merino and Tough Love Sock</span><br /><b style="font-family: arial; ">Colours:</b><span style="font-family: arial; "> Riptide and Slate</span><br /><b style="font-family: arial; ">Needles:</b><span style="font-family: arial; "> Denise Interchangeables in 4.5mm and 5mm (US 7 and 8)</span><br /><b style="font-family: arial; ">Ravelry Link:</b><span style="font-family: arial; "> </span><a href="http://ravel.me/MisoCraftyKnits/bcl0d" style="font-family: arial; ">MisoCraftyKnits' Neither Here Nor There</a>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-5777582097077948412012-01-11T06:33:00.000-08:002012-01-11T07:20:54.490-08:00WIP: Orchid Audrey<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6679031563/" title="Merino Silk Fine - Orchid 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6679031563_0beb918877_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Merino Silk Fine - Orchid 2" /></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">I woke up this morning at 4:30am and couldn't fall back to sleep. I tossed and turned for an hour before whipping out my iPhone and started playing Bejeweled Blitz. After five minutes of that I made a really sad attempt at trying to fall back to sleep. I gave it fifteen minutes of my time before coming to the conclusion that I wasn't going to be getting any more shut-eye. So I got up. I made coffee. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span>I had my third cup by 7am. I'm contemplating on making another pot since Brett had drained half to bring to work with him (he had to leave for work über early). It's kinda nice being up so early. So peaceful. And quiet. I think I'm actually going to get a good hour of un-interrupted knitting time in before the Munchkin wakes up and makes his way down the stairs. This early wake up time might become habit. I said might.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial; "><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><span>So what am I working on? Remember how I mentioned in </span><a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/12/crafts-of-2011.html" style="font-family: arial; ">this post</a><span> how there were a bunch of WIPs that I had yet to blog about? Yeah well, this is one of them. This here is my Audrey in Unst that I had started back in October, took a hiatus on in favour of quicker projects in November, and knitted on for a week before putting it down again for the month of December to knit on </span><a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/12/wip-smokin.html" style="font-family: arial; ">Brett's sweater</a><span>. I'm still not done Brett's sweater but I do need a break from it. So back to Audrey in Unst. This pattern is not at all a boring knit per se (although this pattern does reiterate the fact that I'm SO not a fan of twisted ribbing), there is a lot of stockinette involved. I have no explanation as to why this project is taking me so long to knit, after all, it's a cropped cardigan with 3/4 length sleeves! Seriously, what's the hold up? The pattern is extremely well written, the yarn is absolutely lovely to work with, and I'm using my favourite needles. So weird. It's one of life's mysteries, I guess.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Aside from taking forever to knit this up, I really have nothing to say about this project thus far. The pattern is pretty darn straight forward. I've been pleasantly and wonderfully surprised whenever I got stitch counts right <b>and </b>on the right side row, and got the exact number of stitches needed to pick up around the armholes without worry. This rarely ever happens to me! I felt mighty clever each and every time. The only issue that has come up is purely all on me - I decided to not do the full amount of twisted ribbing at the hem, and since the sleeve hems are to match, not on the sleeves either. To compensate I had knit rows/rounds of stockinette to the length given in the pattern's specs. I thought about making the cardigan a little longer since it would make it a little more practical and in my opinion more wearable, but decided against it cause I didn't think I would have enough yarn to do so. Well...let me tell you how so wrong I am.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6441029189/" title="WIP - Orchid Audrey by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6441029189_a07b0c7489.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="WIP - Orchid Audrey" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The yarn I'm using is SweetGeorgia Yarns (surprise, surprise!) <a href="http://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/products/merino-silk-fine">Merino Silk Fine</a>. I had purchased three skeins directly from Felicia a few years ago with the intent on knitting this pattern (see? That's how long this pattern had sat in my queue!). The yarn is pure luxury and has been a pleasure to knit with and the colour...oh my, the colour! Such a gorgeous, perfect shade of pink. <b>My</b> pink! I could have a whole closet full of nothing but this exact shade of pink. Really. I have nothing but pure love for this colour. Anyhoo, this is a hand-dyed yarn and I thought getting a fourth skein so late in the game would be out of the question since it most likely wouldn't match my skeins exactly and knowing my luck the difference would be quite noticeable. So the idea was nixed. And I'm glad too! Cause then I would have that one solo skein stuck in my stash. I've already finished the body and one sleeve with plenty of the second skein left. As I type this I am close to finishing the second sleeve without even needing to touch the third skein. After this sleeve all I have left to knit are the button bands and the collar. Yup. I'll have plenty of yarn left over. Which means I could have totally added way more length to this cardigan. Le sigh. Oh well, coulda, shoulda, woulda...right? I guess in the future I'll be knitting some pretty lux hexipuffs for my <a href="http://tinyowlknits.wordpress.com/the-beekeepers-quilt/">Beekeepers Quilt</a>!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">PS: Is it just me or is Blogger really messing up on the formatting front of posts?? Lately my posts have all been publishing with random fonts here and there and I would have to go in and html the crap out of it. Then there's the double spacing action. What's the deal? My Google-fu powers are weak and can't seem to find out what's behind this. I've switched from the old to new back to the old interface, and I've even switched from Firefox to Safari to Chrome to see if that helps. Nope. Le sigh. I just might have to look into other blogging websites if this keeps up. </span></span></div></span>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-36610270213972542572012-01-10T07:09:00.000-08:002012-01-18T07:55:40.638-08:00Hello, Lover!<div style="text-align: center;"><span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6668641647/" title="Kitchen Aid by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6668641647_d7c1c5141d_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="Kitchen Aid" /></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span>In between rounds of <a href="http://www.fruitninja.com/">Fruit Ninja</a>, Play-Doh fun, and having mini dance parties (ok, this last one is just me...and Dance Central), I broke out one of my Christmas presents and messed up the kitchen a bit. Nothing major. Just <b>a lot</b> of chocolate chip cookies. I wanted to get a feel for my new kitchen toy and since chocolate chip cookies are always in demand in this household (mainly by Brett, the Munchkin doesn't know any better...yet) I figured it wouldn't hurt to try to whip up a batch...or two...or three. Cause y'know, I gotta see how well this mixer can handle cookie dough.</span><div><span><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6668641471/" title="Kitchen Aid mixing by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6668641471_322235794d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Kitchen Aid mixing" /></a></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>I'm hoping that maybe next weekend I can really have a go at it and see what this bad boy can do. Brett had to work all weekend and was stuck doing work related things when he wasn't actually working, and since the Munchkin has yet to reach that stage where he can be occupied for longer than 5 minutes (if that) at a time, I really didn't want to try anything adventurous in case my attention was needed elsewhere...like when said three year old just <b>needs</b> me to watch him make his Mario stuffed <del>doll</del> toy (Brett was very adamant that boys don't play with dolls...they play with "toys" or "figurines") do death defying stunts off the window sill in the living room. Yeah, not really a good time to say, have condensed milk boiling away on the stove and you're waiting for the right temperature before it's considered burned. Or to have a bowl full of egg whites whipping away until it's at "stiff peaks".</span></div></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6668641963/" title="Kitchen Aid control by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6668641963_8cd558f46e.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Kitchen Aid control" /></a></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Brett's still worried that I don't love my new mixer. Or even like it. I know, he's crazy. He thinks the fact that it's a black <b>Classic</b> stand mixer and not the Komen pink <b>Artisan</b> stand mixer that I've been lusting after forever, is the reason why I would shoo it away. Um...why would anyone who likes to bake, in their right mind, turn down a stand mixer? Any kind of Kitchen Aid stand mixer at that?? Yes, it's not my beloved pink. True, it won't matched the rest of my kitchen stuff. Yes, it's not the Artisan. But the thing is, I've always wanted a stand mixer to call my very own since high school. There have been several times where I myself have almost purchased the black Artisan because it was on sale at a very, very, VERY good price. But had to practice restraint due to the fact that I spent my budget on yarn. So as you can see, black was my next choice anyways. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>I still remember my Mom's mixer, she's had it since the 70s and it's this weird browny green mustard colour and after how many decades it's still going strong. She used to churn out six loaves of banana bread at a time. I used to come home from school to the amazing smell of baking banana bread and find at least twelve loaves cooling away on our kitchen table. Don't worry, they weren't all for us. All my aunts, uncles, and cousins used to circle our house like hungry vultures whenever they caught wind that my mom was making unusually large banana purchases. Sadly, my mom no longer bakes banana bread. This fact makes me cry.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6668642161/" title="Kitchen Aid lift by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6668642161_fe614bf519.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Kitchen Aid lift" /></a></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>So I'm making it my mission this year to perfect my mom's banana bread recipe (if I can get it out of her head, that is...after over 20 years of baking at least six loaves every couple of months I'm sure the recipe has been tweaked and embedded in your brain). Another mission: to perfect the Madeleine cookie. I read somewhere that you should have a dish that you are known for. That you should pick a recipe and <b>own it</b>. Whilst I have yet to perfect lasagne (although, I'm rethinking that dish and wondering if I should pick something else...since technically the recipe given to me came from my friend Tyler, who seriously <b>kills</b> it), I think I could master the Madeleine. As if my plate wasn't full enough (ha ha ha...) I'm thinking of also getting down a marshmallow recipe down pat too. Over the holidays when the Rice Krispy treats were flying around here, a few mini marshmallows may have gone rogue. The Munchkin has developed a liking to them (yet doesn't like the regular sized marshmallows...so weird). I'm not really thrilled with him eating such soft pillows of corn by-products and stuff that I can't pronounce, and figured that if he's going to eat such things then I should make him a somewhat better-for-him version of it. Like using kosher gelatin. It would just make me feel a whole lot better about it all.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6668641785/" title="Kitchen Aid Closeup by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6668641785_45acc34b53.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Kitchen Aid Closeup" /></a></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Completely off topic but topical to this blog, I've also been busy knitting away. I even had my first FO of the year come fresh off the needles last week! I have a few other projects pretty close to be done too. I'm so excited! I even wound up a few skeins of yarn when I woke up this morning. I think a new yarn winder and possibly a swift is in my near future. I've had my yarn winder for a few years now and it has served me very well, but now I think it's on its last leg of life. The poor thing can no longer handle anything heavier than a DK weight yarn (if I'm lucky), and has been winding up pretty messy cakes. You can just hear the contraption struggling to wind. As for my swift, it was my first major knitterly purchase (other than my interchangeable needles set) and it too has done its job for me fairly well. Unfortunately it can't handle the weight of yarn any more and needs the key to be jimmied with some tissue to make it stick. I think I can rig it so that it can last a few more months or at least bug Brett to make me one. I'm thinking the winder is on top of the priority list between the two and I'm hoping that with all this money that I'm "saving" from being on a yarn diet will be able to aid me in the purchase of a new winder. Anyone have any recommendations for a winder that can handle heavy use? I'd give my left nut for this <a href="http://www.nancysknitknacks.com/ball_winder.htm">one</a>. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Anyhoo, I'm hoping to get some photos taken this week to show you some of my current WIPs and my lonely FO. The dreary grey weather that we've been having lately has put quite the damper on my photo taking opportunities. Today is suppose to be a nice day, but we'll see if I'll be able to get away long enough to snap a few pics. In the meantime, I have some yarn calling my name.</span></div></span>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-18138112377948287682012-01-07T10:58:00.000-08:002012-01-07T11:21:13.803-08:00Chicken Dinner<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6652139795/" title="Winner winner with yarn by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img alt="Winner winner with yarn" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6652139795_57d1735114_z.jpg" width="431" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a weird name for a post title when all I'm doing is announcing the winner of my Stashdown yarn giveaway. But all I could think of was "<i>winner, winner, chicken dinner</i>"...sometimes I wish I could just turn off my inner dialogue.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First off, I just want to give a huge </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THANK YOU</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to everyone who entered the giveaway!! I wish I could give yarn to everyone who left a comment! But then I realized just how much that would cost in postal charges (it would seriously be up the wazoo) and in the end I would probably be dishing out more money to Canada Post than what all the yarn prices combined would be. And trust me, I think I've given Canada Post enough of my hard earned dollahs these past months!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyhoo, I digress. Some of your comments made me laugh right out loud, and I'm really glad that some of you have been inspired to "stash down" too and want to use a few ideas. I say go for it! I also love the different project ideas that came up. I think my most favourite answer by far came from </span><a href="http://socks-a-plenty.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Liisa</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, who claimed that she needed the yarn so that she could "</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">make all the non-english speaking girls at work cry</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">". I was taking a sip of tea when I read that and snorted, causing hot liquid to swish back and get stuck up in my nasal cavity. Ah, good times.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, because a three year old toddler made it quite apparent that my undivided attention was completely vital to his very </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">existence</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that I had to</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> watch him do some sort of weird dance that involved random twirls and leg kicks to the sound of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song lest he </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">shriveled</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> up and turn into a wisp of smoke, I made Brett run the random number generator to pick a winner. The man makes me question his thought process sometimes. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To this moment I still don't know how he managed to get an answer that involved a decimal. I'm at a loss for words at this.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, enough stalling! The winner is...</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Comment #16:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Laura (culabrat)!!!</b></span></div><span><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I got </span><a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2012/01/two-against-one.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">free yarn</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in the post the other day with another freebie skein soon to be on its way to me, not to mention that I've been feeling/seeing/hearing the incredible RAKs (random acts of kindness) lately on Ravelry and through other knitters in general, I decided to draw one more name! Hells yeah! So...</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; ">Comment #20</b></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; "><span >Kelly. K!!!</span></b></div><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You get the other skein of yummy SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock! How you like them apples?? (You don't have to answer that).</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok ladies, expect to hear from me sometime this weekend about where I should send these yarny yummies to. In the meantime I've got to do the </span><a href="http://youtu.be/wePMYM4av6Q" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hotdog Dance</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with the aforementioned three year old before he loses it on me.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy weekend my yarn loving friends!! ♥</span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-67481222143732735412012-01-06T13:56:00.000-08:002012-01-07T04:58:37.202-08:00Two Against One<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6649237109/" title="ESK Winnings - Yarn/Mug Combo by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img alt="ESK Winnings - Yarn/Mug Combo" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6649237109_2d48d1f248_z.jpg" width="428" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Universe and the Yarn Gods are both scheming against me. They both want me to fail. The day that I posted about my <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2012/01/stashdown-2012.html">Stashdown 2012</a> goals and plans, I got mail. Good mail. Well, what would normally be considered good mail on a day where I wasn't planning on reducing my stash. The mail? Check out the above photo.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh yes, that's a skein of yarn in a mug. A </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">free</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> skein of yarn. I can't even return it for a refund cause I didn't even buy it. The yarn is a gift. The icing on the cake: see this scratch ticket? </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6649237279/" title="ESK Winnings - Scratch Ticket by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img alt="ESK Winnings - Scratch Ticket" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6649237279_2eac6426b0.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's right. I won a </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">free</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> skein of </span><a href="http://www.squooshfiberarts.com/categories/Special-Yarns/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Squoosh</a> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yarn</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, in any base, any colour of my choice. I won't lie, deep down I'm doing cartwheels of joy cause who can turn down free yarn?? Yummy free yarn at that? Only a freakin' crazy knitter who likes to knit with nothing but Red Heart yarn, that's who. If there is a person out there like that than I would like to meet them, solely so that I could slap them across the face with a skein of cashmere. Oh wait, that's not a punishment! That would be heaven. Ok, I'd slap them with a <b>wet skein</b> of Red Heart. Oh yeah. I could possibly be put in jail for that.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both of these items came from the same company, in the same box. I think I'm being set up for failure here. You want a close up of what the yarn is?</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6649288513/" title="Malabrigo Worsted by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img alt="Malabrigo Worsted" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6649288513_90c5d41033.jpg" width="333" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That there, my friends, is a beautiful skein of <a href="http://www.malabrigoyarn.com/sub_yarn.php?id_sub_yarn=5">Malabrigo Worsted</a>. What am I going to do with it, I don't know. I have to be truthful here and say I'm not the world's biggest fan of Malabrigo Worsted. As sinfully buttery soft as it is, the single ply of this yarn pills and felts way too easily for my liking. I once had knit a project with this yarn back in my early knitting days and halfway into my scarf I saw that it was looking a little weird. It was starting to felt in the spots that were being handled a little more. Yeah, I wasn't impressed to say the least. Who knows, maybe I should give it another go? I've been eyeing up Veera Välimäki's newest collection, <a href="http://100-rain.blogspot.com/2011/12/follow-lines.html">Follow the Lines</a>, which uses nothing but Malabrigo yarns in all four patterns. But you know what that means. I'm going to have to purchase another skein of this stuff if I want to knit any of the patterns.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this is how the vicious cycle begins...</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How many more months until 2013? Oi...</span>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-83123224970866155852012-01-04T10:37:00.000-08:002012-01-12T11:39:45.238-08:00Stashdown 2012<span class="Apple-style-span"></span><br /><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6627425965/" title="Pile of SGY by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img alt="Pile of SGY" height="444" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6627425965_7bb3741d27_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I'm sure a lot of you are well aware that I've had yarn on the brain for quite a long time now. I'm sure a lot of you are sick and tired of me talking about my stash and how I am feeling a tad bit <i>smothered</i> by the sheer amount of yarn that I have in my possession. I'm sure a lot of you are wondering why the hell am I complaining about having this "problem". Some of you don't even consider this is a problem. Well I think it is. Not only is my stash getting out of control, but so are my spending habits. </span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I've been organizing and re-organizing, and then organizing the stash some more in fruitless attempts at <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tetrisizing">Tetris-izing</a> it all to somehow make it fit within the confines of the closets they've been designated to. And yet, there are still piles of yarn at the foot of the bed, behind the couch, and under the computer desk. Bags of yarn have been stuffed into all the crevices on my side of the closet and caution <b>must</b> be given to anyone who dares to open the closet in the Munchkin's room, as yarn has been known to spring out in an almost comical way. Basically, my stash is starting to become a physical burden.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Then there's the psychological side. Oh yeah, yarn likes to play mind games with a knitter. Having so much yarn at your fingertips could make a knitter go crazy. You're constantly thinking about all the pretty yarn that you want to cast on. Like, yesterday. Nevermind that you already have 6 projects on the go. Why not cast on just one more project? The (evil) yarn is calling and before you know it, the wool fumes have gotten to you and you find yourself casting on for yet another project. Crap.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">There are moments when your stash makes you have temporary amnesia. You are planning for a project and all of a sudden you can't think of a single.yarn.in.the.stash.that.will.work. So you go and buy some more yarn. You get it, knit it up, bask in the awesomeness, and then you see it in the corner of your eye - some yarn in your stash that is <b>exactly</b> like the yarn you just used. Or even worse, you see a gorgeous shade of yarn in a base that you know you'll just love. So you purchase some. Then when you go to <del></del></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><strike>dump it into the black hole that is your stash</strike> </span><span class="Apple-style-span">add it lovingly to the rest of your yarn collection, you realize that you already have 6 skeins of yarn that look <b>exactly</b> like the yarn you just bought. Want to turn it into a nightmare? That yarn you just bought <b>IS</b> the yarn that's already in your stash. Oh yeah. It's happened baby, and it wasn't pretty. Not pretty at all. You want to wake up screaming all sweaty? How about this: you.don't.return.the.yarn. You convince yourself that since you love the colour and base so much that you bought it twice, that you'll most definitely will be able to knit <b>two</b> (large) projects with it. I'm losing my freakin' shit here. </span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">But then there are times where you don't even think about the stash. You have so many pretties that all of a sudden you get consumed with the thought that you need even more of the lovelies, which then turns into the crazed idea that you need to own <b>ALL</b> the yarn. Sharing?? What the hell is that?? </span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Deep breath. See?? See?? What did I tell you? Yarn makes a knitter do crazy things. What's that? No, no...I'm not rocking back and forth, whispering all the names of yarn companies and their yarn-y line-up in alphabetical order. No, no. I'm just um...LOOK!! SQUIRREL!!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Woah. Aaaanyways...</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">So what's a knitter to do when they find themselves in such a predicament? Well, in order for me to curb my yarn shopping and accumulating, I'm partaking in <b>Stashdown 2012</b> (imagine a deep, Hulk Hogan-like voice saying stashdown, with the end echoing a bit...and maybe throw in the sound of something really heavy crashing down at the same time). What is Stashdown, you ask? Well let me tell you, my dear friend. It's dedicating a certain amount of time (in this case, the entire year) to whittling your yarn stash (or any other stash you may have...I'm thinking of also doing a fabric version) down to either a pre-set amount or percentage, or to as low of an amount as you can humanly do so. There are tons of groups on Ravelry that are hosting a Stashdown of sorts and I was thinking of joining as many as I possibly could in hopes that being in so many groups would help me in my quest to well, get the stash down. Then I realized that having too many groups to check in with throughout the year would just turn me off and I will most likely fail in the most epic way known to man in the end. I foresee it not being a pretty sight. So I opted to join only one group's stashdown in hopes of avoiding such an epic downfall. <i>Stashdown hint</i>: You know you need to do a stashdown when you start padding the stash in preparation for the stashdown. Seriously, WTF? Who does that? Me. And I'm sure there are a whole lot of other knitters out there that have done the same.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The group that I joined decided to not have any complex rules, just simple guidelines with the main goal to reduce your stash down to "slightly hoariffic levels". You set up your own goals and you be the judge as to whether or not if you're failing. Easy peasy, right? Well maybe all down on paper! As the cliche saying goes:<i> easier said, than done</i>. I don't really have a set amount of yarn that I want to get rid of per se, my main goal is to have more yardage <b>leave</b> the stash than enter by the end of the year. Think it'll be hard? For me, I think so (I know some crazy people <i>ahem<a href="http://eatrunknit.blogspot.com/">Mae</a>ahem</i>, that can totally do this challenge. I'ma thinking that I'll need to channel their willpower throughout the year to help me out). In general my rule is to <u><b>knit more, buy less</b></u>! But to break it down even further, here are some goals I'm going to work towards:</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">- the months of January and February are strict No-Buy months. </span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">- instead of trolling for more yarn, these months will be dedicated to nothing but knitting (although, I just discovered that I have one bag left in the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/missmisocrafty.etsy.com">shop</a> so I'm going to have to use a few knitting days to replenish my inventory)</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">- I'm allowing myself to keep my yarn clubs and spending the money to renew subscriptions - but no new clubs, unless I have moved out <b>a lot</b> of yarn from the stash </span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">- I can only buy yarn if, and only if I need it to complete a project</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">- with the last goal said, I know myself well enough that I can't go cold-sheep and tell myself I can't buy any yarn whatsoever. This will only cause me to fail miserably. Therefore I'm giving myself a monthly budget of $50 for yarn. I can roll over this amount to the next month and ultimately "collect" enough to spend on a sweater quantity, but I CANNOT borrow from the next month's budget. Again, I know myself too well to know that this will end up in horrible failure. You might think that $50 is a lot for a monthly yarn budget, but really, you can't get a sweater's worth of yarn for that much (unless there's an epic sale going on or someone is destashing their yarn to the point where they are practically giving the yarn away for free), can you? Because my next goal...</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">- absolutely <b>NO</b> Knit Picks yarn purchases!!! The only Knit Picks purchases I am allowed to make are for more cables, tips, and as a complete, total, and utter dead last resort for yarn when knitting something for Brett or the Munchkin. But seriously, what does Knit Picks have on Patons Classic Wool, Cascade 220, or even Berroco Vintage or Weekend?? Absolutely nothing. Well, other than the fact that it can be much, much cheaper. Yet I need to remind myself that:<span class="Apple-style-span"> I still have copious amounts of City Tweed in a lot of sweater quantities, I do not need more; I have a lot of their sock yarns, and I'm not even a fan of how thin their sock yarns are...the colours is what sucks me in; and even though Knit Picks yarn is friendlier to my wallet and I feel I can buy way more than if I were to buy a more expensive yarn, I always feel horrible when I get my order because the quality really doesn't compare to some of my snobbier yarns. Knit Picks yarns can be totally hit or miss. So far, there's been more misses than hits. I need to remind myself that it is definitely worth it to shell out a bit more money on a higher quality yarn - it's all about quality, not quantity. Knitting is so tactile that when you spend hours, days, weeks, and sometimes months knitting with the yarn you would want something that you love to touch, hold, and ultimately wear. Like my friend Andi and I agree on, in the end it's better to have spent a few more dollars on a quality yarn that will look good, wear well, and hopefully will last longer.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">- cut down on single yarn purchases!! Unless I am needing a skein for a project. I have so many solo skeins in the stash with more coming from the yarn clubs, that I have plenty for socks and shawls so there really is no need for me to be buying any more. This will help out my $50 monthly yarn budget and will help me to save up for a purchase of a really nice yarn for a sweater. It's a win-win situation.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">- minis swaps are ok. Cause that means I'll be swapping an entire skein of something from stash for a bunch of mini skeins in a variety of yarns in return. This could possibly help curb my urges to purchase one skein of sock yarns with the idea of using it towards my Beekeepers' Quilt.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">- actually, swapping is ok. I haven't been swapping much anyways since postal costs can really add up but swapping isn't adding to the stash...just switching it up.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">- if I really must buy a sweater's worth of yarn and will die if I don't have the yarn in my stash, then I must get rid of an equal amount of yarn from the stash either by destashing, donating, or...a giveaway!</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Reasonable and realistic goals, no? We're only four days into the new year, so I can't say for sure. Ask me again at the end of the month. I think the keys to my success will be to avoid going to my LYS "just to see what's new", avoiding all online yarn shops and all yarn shop updates (I'm looking at you Wollmeise!), and stop looking at destashes. I'll also forewarn you all right now too that if it's a bit quite around here this month, it's because I'm busy either knitting or sewing...and maybe dancing (that damn Xbox is luring my attention away from my crafty endeavours!), so please, no hate mail as to why I haven't been around lately. Ok?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">To help me kick off Stashdown 2012 I'm going to do an impromptu quickie yarn giveaway! My yarn hoarding will be your gain! The yarns I chose for this giveaway is one that I love dearly. Alas, whilst going through the stash I realized that I had several skeins of a certain colourway and the other I have already knit a project with. I also chose this yarn because I know several of you have either commented on this here blog, on my Ravelry project page, or had sent me a PM via Ravelry regarding the fact that you have not yet knit with this yarn but would like to.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">So without further ado, the giveaway and the deets....</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6636537803/" title="SGY Giveaway by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img alt="SGY Giveaway" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6636537803_cf94ce9ccc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*** This giveaway is now closed...Thank you so much to everyone who entered! ***</span></b></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><u>The Prize:</u></b> one lucky reader will win <b>one</b> of the above skeins! Those lovely skeins are, you guessed it, <a href="http://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/products/tough-love-sock">SweetGeorgia Yarns Tough Love Sock</a> in colourways Boysenberry (left) and Nightshade (right).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><u>How to Enter:</u></b> leave a comment letting me know which <b>colour</b> you like the best <b>AND</b> what you would knit/crochet/weave with it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><u>The Rules:</u></b> all comments must include either a valid email address or your Ravelry ID. Comments not containing either of these will be disqualified. Giveaway is open until <b>Friday January 6, 2012 midnight PST</b> (I told you it was going to be a quickie!). I'll contact the winner sometime the following day.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Good luck!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-74527743501752864402012-01-02T10:57:00.000-08:002012-01-02T11:57:20.712-08:002012<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xS7cPLOZ-0g/TwIGJpzUBNI/AAAAAAAAAQs/6sZ52-PwuaU/s640/blogger-image-1643905295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xS7cPLOZ-0g/TwIGJpzUBNI/AAAAAAAAAQs/6sZ52-PwuaU/s640/blogger-image-1643905295.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div>Happy New Year to all my wonderful blog friends!</div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div>This is coming to you a day late. Oh well, better late than never, right? I had every intention of posting yesterday but then the day turned into one epic family day. How could I blog when my family and I are having such moments?? Exactly! We had a lovely day playing video games (even the Munchkin played...it's actually quite funny to watch a three year old trying to river raft and having the Kinect only capture his head half of the time), watching <a href="http://www.gnomeoandjuliet.com/">Gnomeo and Juliet</a> (such a cute movie!), playing with all of the Munchkin's new toys, cuddling on the couch, and even taking down the rest of the holiday decorations turned into a fun event! I even managed to sneak away for half an hour to organize the stash a little (more on that later this week). Needless to say that the three of us were pooped by the end of the day and ended up going to bed before 9pm! I guess the Munchkin didn't want the great family day to end because I woke up this morning to discover that he had crawled into our bed and was asleep between Brett and I. So cute!</div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div>Anyhoo, now that the winter holidays are officially over, we'll be making the attempt at getting life back into a routine. So today is going to be spent running errands and getting the house back into tiptop shape, ready for what 2012 has in store for us. Since I haven't had much a chance to do any knitting the past few days I'm planning on squeezing in some knit time in the car while out and about today. I'm also hoping to get some baking done and trying out one of my (very generous) Christmas presents...a shiny new Kitchen Aid stand mixer!! I'm so excited!!</div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div>I'm even more excited that I feel a lot more energetic today than I have all December long. I know I should take it easy and not over exert myself, but there's just so much that I want to do! What's everyone's plans for 2012? Are you as excited as I am?</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy 2012 everyone!!</div><div><br /></div><div>PS: Note to self - I think blogging via iPhone isn't smart. It really screws up the formatting of the post. And it drives me insane that the font doesn't match the rest of the blog. Grrr....I hate html sometimes!</div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></span></span></div></span>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-78628646130334561842011-12-31T08:51:00.000-08:002012-01-01T11:53:36.262-08:00The Crafts of 2011<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6605209197/" title="Crafts of 2011 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6605209197_6a4c356058_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Crafts of 2011" /></a></div></div>Or should I say 'the <b>knits</b> of 2011' since I really didn't do much else other than knit this year. Yes, I did a ton of sewing but it was all project bags for my <a href="http://www.blogger.com/missmisocrafty.etsy.com">shop</a>. So they really don't count. I think I should make it a goal for next year to do more sewing that doesn't involve project bags. Yeah?</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Anyhoo, when I first wrote down the list of projects and then made the collage I was kinda taken aback about having only 30 projects for the entire year. I mean, really? I had knit my ass off all year long and out of the 30 projects I only have 26 knitted items to show for the year?? But then I smacked myself. Knocked some sense into me. First off, I'm knitting. As all you knitters out there know (and you non-knitters should take note) that knitting is one of the most labour intensive crafts out there. Yes, you can fudge things left and right but really, unlike sewing, <b>you</b> are the one making the fabric. Knitting a sleeve could take <b>hours</b> of work, but in sewing those very same hours could get you an entire garment already...and then some! So really, I shouldn't be all hard on myself for only having 26 knitted FOs under my belt. Last year I only had 14 knitted items! I've almost doubled that amount in a year! I should be darn proud of myself!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I also need to remind myself that these 30 items are <u><b>completed projects</b></u>. Cause trust me, I have UFOs (unfinished objects) left and right all over the place! Throughout the year I had started a bunch of projects and either still have them on the needles or frogged them before they had a chance to even resemble anything. There's soooo many projects that I haven't even blogged about! Talk about secrets! Hmm...still on the needles...well, remember <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/01/wip-phinney.html">Phinney</a>? I had started that pullover at the very beginning of the year. It was suppose to be my first project of <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/12/mission-accomplished.html">12 in 2011</a>. Technically she's off the needles. All pieces have been knit, the only thing holding me back from completing her is the sewing up and then picking up the stitches for the collar. That's it. Really. What else is still OTN? A capelet, a pair of stripey knee-high socks (it was for a sock KAL with Hayley), 4 pairs of socks (a test knit, a stripey Skew similar to <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2010/10/finished-skew-v2-german-styles.html">this</a> pair, a variegated Skew like my <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2010/06/finished-skew.html">first pair</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">...can't you tell that I love Skews? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">Oooohhhh...maybe I should just frog the stripey knee-highs and turn them into knee-high Skews??? The wheels are turning...oh! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">I also have an ill-fitting-should-just-be-frogged-now pair of crap socks on the go too. Something tells me I should have a day where I do nothing but frog unloved projects that I didn't have the heart to deal with at the time</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Ok, where was I? Oh yeah, projects still OTN...let's see...well there Brett's cardigan (which is a shoulder, collar, and buttonbands away from being done), the Dahlia cardigan (I was obsessed about it back in <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/09/september-obsessions.html">September</a> and <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-obsessions.html">October</a>, started knitting it as part of a KAL with some ladies in my knitting group, and never blogged about the actual knitting of it), an Audrey in Unst cardigan (again, not blogged...like, at all), and remember this bad boy of a yarn cake?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6214660477/" title="Yarn Cakes by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6233/6214660477_a51e7de87d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Yarn Cakes" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">The blue one next to the normal sized cake? Yeah, that's currently being turned into a shawl slash wrap. Again, I haven't blogged about this project but I'm not even close to being even halfway finished and looks like a blob of blue. Doesn't make for pretty blog photos, that's for sure.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Then there's the projects that just need some finishings...like the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"> <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/09/wip-duck-soup.html">jacket</a> for the Munchkin (it just needs the icord closures) that I haven't had the heart to finish since he won't even wear the <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/10/finished-munchkins-thorpe.html">Thorpe</a> I had knit for him, and another hat for the Munchkin (which again, I don't have the heart to finish...see previous item's reason for not finishing). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">My <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/10/wip-hooray-cardigan.html">Hooray Cardigan</a> should really be added to the FO list but it's still awaiting for some grosgrain ribbon to be sewn onto the button bands...and oh, some buttons too. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">We won't even talk about the projects I had knit in 2010 that just needs some simple sewing done to them that I thought I would do at the beginning of this year.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">I've been trying to give myself pep talks about clearing out the proverbial knitting basket and clearing the knitting WIP clutter. I think it's starting to work cause I'm slowly getting antsy about turning those WIPs into FOs and reclaiming all my needle tips and cables back. Who knows, maybe I'll finally have a full set of interchangeable needles again? Wouldn't that be something?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">I have a lot of plans and ideas for 2012. So much so that January is already looking to be a tightly scheduled month. I think I better go get a new day planner and start penciling in my plans and hope that my schedule is do-able. I hope someone somewhere will discover a way to add a few more hours to the day in 2012. Or am I the only person who's <del>stupid</del> crazy enough to put themselves on an intense crafting agenda?</span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-41770059405632634642011-12-30T09:33:00.000-08:002011-12-30T09:33:00.140-08:00A Mission Accomplished!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/5388877838/" title="12in2011 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5179/5388877838_fe78f1b2c4_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="12in2011" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;">S-U-C-C-E-S-S, that's the way we spell Success!</span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Yes, I'm channeling my inner cheerleader cause boo-yeah! I've accomplished the <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/01/12-in-2011.html">12 in 2011</a> goal! Ohhhhh yyyyyyeah! Actually, I had accomplished this mission back in September but didn't realize it 'til now when I was going through all my lists and was trying to figure out the things I've completed this year. How awesome is that? It's always such a boost to find out that a goal you've been working towards all year finally comes to fruition. Even more so when you don't realize it until after the fact. Man, I feel good! </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">And to prove that I'm not lying I've made a list and linked them all to the finishing blog post. Without further ado, the projects:</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">1. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/02/finished-shalom.html">Shalom</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/5446870730/" title="Shalom 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5171/5446870730_598c2e0832.jpg" width="319" height="500" alt="Shalom 2" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">2. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/06/finished-ishbel.html">Ishbel</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/5831009490/" title="Ishbel 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3244/5831009490_32ba9de32e.jpg" width="500" height="359" alt="Ishbel 2" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">3. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/04/finished-queen-jaywalker.html">Queen Jaywalker</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/5575433438/" title="Queen Jaywalker 3 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5027/5575433438_72c89210e0.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Queen Jaywalker 3" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">4. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/05/finished-sweet-monkey-socks.html">Sweet Monkey Socks</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/5617367422/" title="Sweet Monkey - Side by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5064/5617367422_a1e9ae80ec.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Sweet Monkey - Side" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">5. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/05/finished-plain-hummingbirds-socks.html">Plain Hummingbirds Socks</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/5670565717/" title="Plain Hummingbirds Socks 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5226/5670565717_c3e432a662.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Plain Hummingbirds Socks 2" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">6. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/07/finished-blue-maile-baby-sweater.html">Blue Maile</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/5952036301/" title="Blue Maile 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6146/5952036301_b4d686e1fc.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Blue Maile 2" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">7. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/09/finished-pebbles-maile.html">Pebbles Maile</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6194731814/" title="Pebbles Maile by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6162/6194731814_54cfc1a138.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Pebbles Maile" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">8. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/10/finished-sunshine-sunnyside.html">Sunshine Sunnyside</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6288872845/" title="Sunshine Sunnyside by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6224/6288872845_fa52d76dea.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Sunshine Sunnyside" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">9. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/08/finished-retro-heaven-shawlette.html">220 yds. of Retro Heaven</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6064744734/" title="Retro Heaven Shawlette by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6209/6064744734_e98b5b7cba.jpg" width="500" height="331" alt="Retro Heaven Shawlette" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">10. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/08/finished-tahitian-tea-leaves.html">Tahitian Tea Leaves</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6079270046/" title="Tahitian Tea Leaves - Side by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6204/6079270046_d910b088ff.jpg" width="430" height="500" alt="Tahitian Tea Leaves - Side" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">11. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/11/finished-georgia.html">Georgia</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6327777139/" title="Georgia 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6059/6327777139_67387e22e0.jpg" width="500" height="365" alt="Georgia 2" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">12. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/10/finished-emelie.html">Emelie</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6219646820/" title="Emelie 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6235/6219646820_027917bd79.jpg" width="500" height="343" alt="Emelie 2" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">There's also a few "beyond 12 in 2011" in which I used <b>really </b>old stash yarn with patterns that were free, like:</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">The <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/10/finished-munchkins-thorpe.html">Munchkin's Thorpe</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6263047586/" title="Thorpe by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6053/6263047586_07cb375cf7.jpg" width="334" height="500" alt="Thorpe" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/12/finished-stockholm.html">Stockholm</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463899869/" title="Stockholm by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6463899869_afba42e379.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Stockholm" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Both projects were knit using yarn that I had before I even considered myself a knitter! Yowzas! I'll admit it's an awesome feeling to get those out of the stash, even though I didn't even know that they existed. I'm thinking I need to do a complete and total overhaul of <b>ALL </b>my crafting supplies and do a thorough inventory. It also wouldn't hurt to toss the stash every now and then to remind myself of what I have.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I'm actually quite surprised at myself for keeping up with the whole 12 in 2011 goal. I honestly thought I would give up halfway through the year. I was definitely tempted to knit up every single new pattern the second they came out and was itching to cast on with newly purchased yarns the moment I got home or when they arrived, but I persevered and stuck with the plan. I mean, I had queued these patterns ages ago and for a reason (such as I really like them, or why else would I have queued them?), and have been wanting to knit them up for-evah. I would always feel guilty about casting on newer patterns that were at the bottom of the queue, so it does feel quite awesome to <b>finally </b>knit those 'top of the list' patterns! I'm also quite pleased that I did my 12 projects with three months to spare, even though I feel like I kinda cheated by knitting three baby sweaters. Oh well. I could have spent the entire year knitting nothing but dish cloths, wrist warmers, and bookmarks and then go around claiming that I'm on my two millionth project of the year. That's not what 12 in 2011 is about, but sadly some people started to view it as a competition. I'm just happy that I had knit every project from stash (most of the yarns were from when I was just starting to have a stash and when I was starting to shop at my LYS rather than Walmart), and that all of the patterns were either at the top of the knit-list, free, or were bought and then quickly forgotten and ditched when an even newer pattern come onto the scene. I had a game plan and I stuck with it. Changing only a few projects...like Shalom. The original pattern in mind was something that I had started knitting and ended up frogging before the yoke was finished - when I realized that the design was just all shades of wrong for me. The three baby sweaters were all suppose to be different, but who can predict that everyone was going to have their baby at around the same time? Not to mention that one of the patterns I had bought yarn for (gasp!) and therefore didn't count.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Since 12 in 2011 was such a success for me, I think I'll do a similar goal for 2012. This time around I plan on mixing up the patterns I queued ages ago with newer patterns...cause who knows how much longer my will power will last! I'm also thinking of going bigger...as <b>in a sweater a month</b> big. Oh yeah. I plan on going there. I guess that means I'll have to go through my Ravelry queue and really weed it out, add tags, and all that jazz and figure out what is do-able. While I'm at it, I should also go through my stash page and update everything. Ahhh...can't you tell that the new year is almost upon us? Is anyone else planning their 2012 knitting schedule? I can't wait to get started!!</span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-7549138941785251952011-12-29T11:19:00.000-08:002012-01-03T04:22:57.259-08:00December Obsessions<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6563582243/" title="Red Ornament by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6563582243_918b029009_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Red Ornament" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I'm still recouping from the Christmas weekend. I think my stomach has stretched enough to fit an entire turkey in there. Seriously. I think I have also eaten double my weight in chocolate and cookies. Oomph! That's the sound of me trying to adjust myself in the computer chair. Not a pretty sight. Trust me. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">WTF? All of a sudden I'm holding a turkey sandwich in my hand! Before I pass out in a food coma, here are the five things that I've been obsessing about all December long:</span></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1. <b>Dance Central 2</b>. I shit you not. Maybe it's the Asian in me. Maybe it's the gamer in me. Maybe it's both. But I LOVE dance games and would always go nuts whenever I see them at arcades. So when I heard that this was coming to an Xbox near me, I knew I had to have it. I'll confess right here, right now, I'll be up 'til the wee hours of the morning and will possibly spend my days the next few <del>weeks</del> months playing this game. I guess it's one way to burn off those holiday pounds!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6595849351/" title="Dance Central 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6595849351_dc749f25a2.jpg" width="500" height="328" alt="Dance Central 2" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">2. <b>The Black Eyed Peas Experience</b>. Yeah, I could've clumped this with the first obsession but really, it deserves it's own place on the list. I know the ladies of my knitting group laughed at me when I told them that all I wanted for Christmas was one thing and one thing only. <a href="http://shop.ubi.com/store/ubina/en_CA/pd/productID.232685500/sac.true">The Black Eyed Peas Experience</a>. Seriously. No jokes. Although, both Hayley and Natalie admitted that they laughed only cause they want to play it too. I've been bugging Brett about getting an Xbox with Kinect just so that I can play Dance Central. Forget Wii, I'd break something with those controllers. There's a wristband on those bad boys for a reason. I wanna be able to get my groove on and not have to worry about whether or not if I'm holding the controller tightly enough so that I won't be destroying my TV, windows, or anyone's sheer amazement at my dance skills. Don't laugh. You'll see. If I ever get challenged to a dance off in some dark alley somewhere, I'll be prepared. If the Black Eyed Peas find themselves down a back up dancer all of a sudden. Yo! I'm ready. Don't hate.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6595857427/" title="The BEP Experience by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6595857427_5d1ba20ce1.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="The BEP Experience" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">3. <b>Crofter's Organic Fruit Spreads.</b> Holy crap, do I ever love this stuff! I seriously cannot.get.enough.of.it. I really don't like to buy store bought jam and try to get homemade whenever possible. It was a summer goal to learn how to make my own jam but never got around to doing so. Mainly cause I kept missing the prime fruit picking times at my local U-pick farms. I guess I could always use frozen fruit. But I think that'll ruin my first jam making experience. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Last winter </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">I discovered Whimsical Preserves at a craft fair and was sad that I had only picked up 2 jars of their yummy jam and had to go a few month (<i>gasp!</i>) without any homemade jam. Then I found out that they were going to be vendors at an outdoor market that, I kid you not, just happens to be right outside my front door every Saturday during the summer. It kinda got sad cause the lady started to recognize me as I crossed the grassy knoll to get to her stall, and she would have my preferred jam all ready to go. You'd think I'd stock up to carry me through the winter months. Sadly, no. I totally missed the memo about when the last day of that market was. I've been a complete sad face since. Until now. Sometime in November I discovered <a href="http://www.croftersorganic.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&amp;Itemid=253">Crofter's Organic</a> at a snooty (and pricey) grocery store. Curious, I read the label and bought a jar. I was in pure heaven! HEAVEN, I tell you! I had to limit myself though, since this so-called high end market likes to charge an arm and a leg for pretty much everything in their store. So imagine my sheer surprise when a week later whilst roaming the aisles of a local grocery chain store that I discovered my beloved jam! And one week it was on sale!! Hells yeah I stocked up!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6595861223/" title="Crofters Fruit Spread by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6595861223_904aa1a1e8.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Crofters Fruit Spread" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I love this "fruit spread" in quite an unholy way. I love it so much that it makes me lick the butter knife I use to spread this goodness on my toast. Yes, I know, it's a butter knife and therefore cannot cut me. But still, it's<b> a knife</b> here people! This jam is making me live on the dangerous side. Not only is there actual chunks of fruit in the jar, but there's absolutely <b>NO</b> preservatives, corn syrup, fructose, cellulose gum, or weird crap like that. The no corn products is what really does it for me. I still shudder at those freakin' ads that used to be on TV, where the American government was trying to convince everyone that high-fructose corn syrup is actually good for you. Yeah um...corn products in general aren't good for you. Your body can't digest it. And sugar shouldn't be man-made chemicals and that highly processed. Don't even get me started on cellulose gum.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I love Crofter's Organics so much, I'm even letting the Munchkin finally have jam on his toast again!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Oh, disclaimer here: please note that Crofter's Organics did not pay or ask me to give my so-called review on them. But if someone from this company just happens to be reading this, I will accept cases of fruit spread. Just saying.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">4. <b>Houndstooth Sorel Boots</b>. I was dreaming about them all November and for most of December. Then just as I was about to buckle and buy them already, I found this pair. On sale. Oh yeah. You bet I high-tailed it into the shop, waving my credit card like a crazed boot addict. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">The weather has been pure crapola here, which means that it's been grey and not so great for photo taking. So I give you an internet-found photo rather than one of my actual boots. Mine came with awesome bright yellow and black plaid laces, but I'm in the process of finding some pink laces....ooohhh...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="padding-bottom: 2px; line-height: 0px"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/26458716530491426/" target="_blank"><img src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/26458716530491426_2Stoymds_c.jpg" border="0" width="350" height="537" /></a></div></span><div style="float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><p style="font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;">Source: <a style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;" href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/sorel-tivoli-high-waterproof-boot/3164380">shop.nordstrom.com</a> via <a style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;" href="http://pinterest.com/misocraftyknits/" target="_blank">Melissa</a> on <a style="text-decoration: underline; color: #76838b;" href="http://pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></p></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">But just to be sure, I made sure to try on the pair that I had originally wanted:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6424550133/" title="Picture 1 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6234/6424550133_d664f90bb3.jpg" width="500" height="318" alt="Picture 1" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I knew that if I didn't try them on, I'd always be wondering "what if?". Do you ever get that? Where you see something that you totally heart, but didn't get cause you couldn't justify getting it and then later down the road you find yourself thinking about that item, all forlornly? Yeah, that would have been the case with these. So I tried them on. They were pure awesome sauce but didn't hold a candle to the tall boots. I love these boots. They've already paid for themselves. They are sooooo comfy and sooooo warm! Which, if you've been reading my blog all month, is a must as I've been freezing my butt off all December long!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">5. <b>Yarn</b>. OK, so this one is nothing new. I'm sure you were expecting this one. But really, I've been thinking about yarn all.month.long. Twenty four seven. Not just any yarn though, more specifically: my stash. Yeah, yeah, so I acquired quite a bit of new yarn during the month but now I think I've reached my limit. I know my house has. I'm starting to get overwhelmed by the fact that I have <b>a lot</b> of choices. I've been thinking up of a game plan on how to get some control over the stash, besides stop adding to it! I smell a goal cooking up. Just to forewarn you.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="padding-bottom: 2px; line-height: 0px"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/26458716530301165/" target="_blank"><img src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/26458716530301165_3vLyBtHm_c.jpg" border="0" width="554" height="415" /></a></div></span><div style="float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><p style="font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;">Source: <a style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;" href="http://threebagsfull.ca/blog/learn-to-knit-socks-2/">threebagsfull.ca</a> via <a style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;" href="http://pinterest.com/misocraftyknits/" target="_blank">Melissa</a> on <a style="text-decoration: underline; color: #76838b;" href="http://pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></p></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Some honourable mentions: warm woollies and Polartec, and most of all - my bed. I seriously think I've slept through the entire month. I've been so extremely fatigued, so beyond exhausted, and feel like I've been battling my eyelids all December long. I'll get spurts of energy (which I would expend on Dance Central sessions) here and there, but to tell you the truth, December was a blurr due to being so sleepy. I'm looking forward to getting my thyroid treated next month (actually, excited isn't the proper word for how I really feel about <b>finally</b> being able to deal with my thyroid issues, but I'm too tired to come up with a better word) and am thinking that maybe, just maybe 2012 will be much, much, MUCH better for me health-wise. YAY!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">'Til then, you'll be getting nothing but sleepy posts from me. Oh well. I'm off to make more coffee.</span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-36515125371744768722011-12-26T13:14:00.000-08:002011-12-26T13:14:00.049-08:00Holiday Hangover<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6563581957/" title="Love Mitten by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6563581957_17eeebab7e_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Love Mitten" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas day. Or, if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you had a fabulous December 25th! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I don't know about you, but I'm suffering from a major holiday hangover - as in I've had too much excitement, too much to eat, too much to drink, too much <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_Dance_Revolution">Dance Revolution</a>...just too much of everything. Add in the overly enthusiastic excitement of a three year old and his newly acquired Mario and Luigi stuffed dolls, an Innotab, train table and enough toys to hold over a small daycare...oh yeah, my head has exploded all over the Christmas tree (cause I'm not going to go into detail about my headaches over that Innotab).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I'm off to chug coconut water and regular ol' water like there's no tomorrow and hoping that I can keep the Xbox off...but something tells me that Mama's got her dancin' shoes on...I'm hoping to take a few days off and maybe getting some rest in there somewhere. If you don't hear from me in a few days...just listen for the house blasting the Black Eyed Peas...I'll be there getting the dance party started...</span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-6342425945690396742011-12-24T17:23:00.000-08:002011-12-24T17:38:15.489-08:00Merry Ho Ho Ho!!<span style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6563582085/" title="Santa by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6563582085_4c913ce9a1_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="Santa" /></a></span></div>Just dropping in to say Merry Christmas to everyone!! I hope you're all having a wonderfully merry day filled with love, laughter, yummy eats, and squishy yarn with dearly loved ones and friends!</span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">I plan on spending Christmas day eating (both a ton of sweets and turkey galore...not necessarily at the same time), cuddling, and possibly knitting! ♥</span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-32444823983798822182011-12-22T13:21:00.000-08:002011-12-22T14:43:38.910-08:00It's Just a Random Kind of Week<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6556193449/" title="SG - Skinny Bugga - Strawberry Crab by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6556193449_0263988264_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="SG - Skinny Bugga - Strawberry Crab" /></a></span></div>Yep. Another post of random thoughts in point form. Sorry. I had started writing a post about the progress of Brett's sweater and even had a clever title and everything for it. But then my fatigue set in and I couldn't gather up enough energy to keep writing...at one point I had to keep getting up every 10 seconds to shake myself and try to fight my eyelids from closing. So instead of a post about one awesome subject, I give you a post about a bunch of awesomeness, written throughout the day.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I received the most beautiful skein of yarn in the mail yesterday (it's the photo above). It seriously took my breath away. It's a skein of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/brands/the-sanguine-gryphon">The Sanguine Gryphon</a> Skinny Bugga! in <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/the-sanguine-gryphon-skinny-bugga/stashes?status=&amp;cf=%3F&amp;photoless=0&amp;search=strawberry+crab">Strawberry Crab</a> (all links are to Ravelry, as I'm not sure how much longer the SG website will be up for). I got it in a swap last month and even though I have this colourway in another base, I stalk and troll for this colourway on the interwebs like you wouldn't believe. Yes, it's a seasonal colourway and yes, Cephalopod Yarns will be carrying over this colourway to the new company in Bugga! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">but I suck at stalking shop updates. I will even go as far as saying that Strawberry Crab completely and totally triumphs over MadTosh's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/madelinetosh-tosh-vintage/stashes?status=&amp;cf=%3F&amp;photoless=0&amp;search=tart">Tart</a>. Oh yeah, I went there.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- are you surprised that I'm talking about a yarn that's not SweetGeorgia?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- the photo is just eye candy, as I'm sure most of you are here for the knitting content - of which there is a lack of.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- speaking of updates. I caught the last Wollmeise update of the year and was so darn proud of myself for not purchasing a single skein during their regular update. The grab bag update though...that's another story. Moving on.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- I vowed to not buy another skein of yarn this year. So what did I do? I went and joined the <a href="http://www.cookiea.com/">Cookie A</a> 2012 Sock Club. I've been weighing the pros and cons of this club for weeks and finally, in a moment of weakness I caved and joined. But now that I think about it, how could I <b>not</b> join it?? I mean, think about it: this club involves knitting socks, <b>baking cookies</b>, and hand-dyed yarns. You get recipes here people. Cookie.recipes.with your sock patterns. And yarn. I'm a sucker. I know. True, I have knit only <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/05/finished-sweet-monkey-socks.html">one Cookie A pattern</a> in my entire knitting career but I do have several more patterns awaiting in my queue. I love the fact that each shipment comes with 2 patterns - an easy one for times when your brain can't function and a more advanced pattern for when you feel like challenging yourself. I see more sock action coming this way in 2012.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- speaking of socks, I think I need to get going on getting back onto the sock knitting wagon. I had always aimed at having at least one cardigan/sweater, one shawl, and one pair of socks on the needles at all times. I was doing so well there with this too. Until I hit a pattern that I just couldn't get motivated on. I had started <a href="http://domesticatedhuman.com/patterns/">Aquaphobia</a> back in April but after what felt like months of knitting and only producing half of the first leg, I lost steam. That, and I've been in utter denial that the sock is a bit tight on my tree trunk leg. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">To tell you the truth, I think I just need to bite the bullet and frog the sock and either cast on again using a larger needle size, or scrap the project all together. I think for now the half finished sock will have to sit in time out in the proverbial knitting basket.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- I should really finish the second sock of the test knit socks that I was working on. It's a beautiful sock using beautiful yarn. I guess the above mentioned sock made me lose my sock knitting mojo. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- I need to get back my sock knitting mojo.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- having a sock-in-progress would have totally helped me out the other day when I was at the doctor's office. <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/12/wip-smokin.html">Brett's sweater</a> is now officially too big to carry around and my other WIPs are either awkward to knit on (as in too many yarn cakes to have to worry about), involve too much counting, or require chart reading. I really need a small mindless knit on the go. I'm actually quite shocked that I don't have such a project on the needles.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- another shocker: the other day when we did our weekly grocery shop, the Munchkin fell asleep in his car seat. So I opted to stay in the truck with him. Um, yeah...guess who completely forgot their knitting at home?? I don't know who was more shocked about this, me or Brett. I <u><b>always</b></u> have a knitting project in my handbag. Not sure how I didn't this time around. And let me tell you, this will <b>never</b> happen again!! I was bored beyond belief! Not only did I waste time just sitting there doing nothing, but my phone was dead! I couldn't even surf Ravelry. That was an hour and a half that I will never get back. I could have gotten so much knitting done during that time. So sad.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- the progress on Brett's sweater? I finally finished the sleeves and joined them with the body. I had more issues with the sleeves. Nothing big. I just had to keep telling myself that this cardigan wasn't for me and that I really did need to knit them longer! After a few rounds the thought that I needed to stop increasing would creep into my head and that this cardi was going to be massive...on me. Yes self, not for you. Bad girl! This is Brett's sweater! Now that I'm working on the yoke shaping I'm hoping that the next bit will go by super fast.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- I know i'm not going to get Brett's sweater finished in time to wrap it up and give on Christmas Day. But you know what? I'm totally content with that. I really am. Another reminder to myself: the only pressure to get this done is from no one but myself. Brett doesn't care if the cardigan is under the tree or not. He's even told me to take my time cause he understands how much time goes into knitting. He didn't have to, but I still made him read the Yarn Harlot's blog <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/MT-3.35-en/mt-tb.cgi/384">post</a> about the gift of time, since there's a difference between knowing <b>how much</b> time goes into a knitting project versus <b>having</b> the time to knit.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- I think Brett got it cause last night he wrapped all the gifts without me asking. It wasn't the best wrap job, but really, will a three year old even notice how crisp the corners are? </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- I've been falling asleep while reading the Munchkin his bedtime stories. The past few months he's been wanting to read only two books from his book collection. This <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Walter-Farting-Dog-Trouble-Illustrated/dp/0142406260/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324580607&amp;sr=8-5">one</a> and this <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Rough-Weather-Ahead-Walter-Farting/dp/014240845X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324580607&amp;sr=8-3">one</a>. My friend Leana gifted them to the Munchkin a few years ago and he absolutely loves them. He now refers to all dogs as "Walt-tut". I'm thinking he's going to like one of his Christmas gifts.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6556213455/" title="Walter the Farting Dog by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6556213455_40c389339c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Walter the Farting Dog" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- Oh, another reason why Brett's cardigan won't be under the tree in 3 days: both of my wrists are starting to hurt. I don't think this has anything to do with knitting too much, but more from the result of my current medical state weakening the muscles in my body. I mean, last night I couldn't open an already pre-opened jar of tomato sauce. I became one of those sad people that you see on infomercials who are all down and overly dramatic that they can't do <i>insert action here</i> until a nifty gadget comes along to assist them with it. I ended up running hot water over the jar lid before using <a href="http://www.trudeaucorp.com/int-en/products/kitchen-tools-gadgets/types/kitchen-gadgets/p--0999025.html">this handy contraption</a> that came free with a <a href="http://www.chatelaine.com/en">Chatelaine</a> issue.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- so glad I didn't get rid of that thing. Even though I laughed at it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- we've tried <b>three times </b>to go see Santa and three times we've been denied. Why? Once Santa had to go on a lunch break and the elves had allowed only a certain amount of kids in the line up, claiming that each kid gets x amount of time with the fat Dude. The second time the line up was so long and the elves decided that there were too many people that they could potentially still be there even when the mall closes. So they asked the last half of the people in line to leave. Starting with us. The last time, Santa had to go on a quick potty break and we were dangerously close to the lunch cut off time AND the Munchkin was starting to get grumpy cause he was hungry as well. I'm afraid that this year will be the year that the Munchkin will not get to sit on Santa's lap. This fact makes me sad. The Munchkin couldn't care less either way.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">- Brett made a pan of Rice Krispy treats using the special Christmas version of the cereal. Half of that pan <i>may</i> have fallen into my mouth.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I'm hoping my energy comes back real soon so that I can work off these extra holiday calories!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-2926908571288169682011-12-19T08:45:00.001-08:002011-12-28T06:23:19.940-08:00Winter Wonderland<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X_2XEzedjWY/TvADWwk_jDI/AAAAAAAAAQU/INhp041nqSs/s640/blogger-image--392352660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X_2XEzedjWY/TvADWwk_jDI/AAAAAAAAAQU/INhp041nqSs/s640/blogger-image--392352660.jpg" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Ok, so it's not really a winter wonderland here. We don't have snow (yet), and the weather, albeit a little wet at times, has been quite mild and very West Coast-y lately. Which is nice. Really nice. But I've still been wearing long johns underneath everything. Well, I've stopped wearing long john pants, as they were starting to bunch up in weird random places under my jeans. But long john shirts? Oh yes, a definite must! I even stopped by <a href="http://www.mec.ca/Main/home.jsp">MEC</a> yesterday on our way home to pick up some new ones. Ones with a Polartec layering (I have no idea what my current ones are made of) and I can tell you right now I'm absolutely loving it!</span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Other news since I last posted? Not much. At all. Sorry. Brett's brother was visiting for the weekend so it was more about entertaining (and cleaning up after them!) than anything else. Yesterday I didn't even knit a single stitch! Pure craziness, I know! I just didn't get the chance. From the moment we woke up it was go, go, GO! We took the Munchkin on a stroll throughout the downtown core,<b><i> sans stroller</i></b>, and it took us forever to get anywhere. Not that we were in a hurry to be anywhere in particular. We finally made it to our end destination goal, which was the <a href="http://www.downtownvictoria.ca/happening-downtown/christmas-2011/4176-downtown-ice-rink">outdoor skating rink</a> at Centennial Square. We all rented skates (and a helmet for the Munchkin) and had a blast skating the afternoon away! This was the first time the Munchkin has ever gone ice skating and he looked so darn cute in his little bobsled skates! Sadly I was so lost in the moment that I didn't take any photos. I'm sure we'll go skating a few more times before the rink closes for the season. Neither Brett nor his brother could remember the last time they laced up a pair of skates. I think the last time I was on ice like that, it was probably when I was in middle school when one of my closest friend's made me go with her to the Nelson hockey team's "skate &amp; meet" (her family was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billet">billet</a> for the team for as long as I could remember and I think they stopped once we hit grade 10...I think having too many teenagers in the house was making them crazy).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jHgI0Xk0zI0/TvAEGta13_I/AAAAAAAAAQk/smRx0SsuyFY/s640/blogger-image--1242106894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jHgI0Xk0zI0/TvAEGta13_I/AAAAAAAAAQk/smRx0SsuyFY/s640/blogger-image--1242106894.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I haven't had the energy to do any sewing either, but am hoping to get some bags made this week for a possible Boxing Day sale. Don't quote me on that though. It's a goal to have more items in the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/missmisocrafty.etsy.com/">shop</a> for Boxing Day, but not sure if sewing is in the cards for me this week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that maybe I can fight the fatigue and get the chance to spent some QT (um, that's quality time...sorry, I've been in abbreviating everything lately) with my lovely sewing machine.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">In the meantime, on the knitting front, I'm still plugging away on <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/12/wip-smokin.html">Brett's sweater</a>. I haven't been project monogamous in ages and I think it's making me go a little crazy. I've been eyeing patterns left and right on Ravelry, staring longingly at the skeins of yarn that I have on my nightstand (I know, I'm weird like that...most people have books or magazines on their nightstand, I have yarn) that are patiently waiting for me to wind up and knit with, and I've been prepping projects for the new year. Brett thinks I'm crazy, but I got such a kick out of doing the <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/01/12-in-2011.html">12 in 2011</a> where I made myself knit the patterns that have been in my queue forever (but had always been sidetracked with newer, shinier patterns) and had knit the yarns that had been sitting in my stash for longer than a year, that I decided to do it again next year. So I've been going through my queue and printing up patterns, diving into my stash and finding yarns for each of those patterns, and then very Martha Stewart-like been putting them into large Ziplock bags...all labeled and ready to go. I've even contemplated putting all the bags into a bin and then blindly grab a bag when I'm ready to knit a new project. Kinda like a surprise kit....</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I told you I was going a little crazy! I really need to get Brett's sweater finished...for the sake of my sanity!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">PS: Sorry for the random photos of skates...they were the only photos I took of our day of skating...all taken on my iPhone. But I couldn't have a photo-less post!</span></div></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-78443692523803164642011-12-15T03:59:00.001-08:002011-12-15T12:34:39.804-08:00A Very Random Thursday<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hB7NQa1r_9M/TupZa3JsMQI/AAAAAAAAAQE/cEbV713WgeQ/s640/blogger-image--1064219395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hB7NQa1r_9M/TupZa3JsMQI/AAAAAAAAAQE/cEbV713WgeQ/s640/blogger-image--1064219395.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I feel like I haven't blogged in ages! But in reality it's only been a few days. I think this week is crawling by, which is a good thing when you've got a lot of crafting to do. That is, if you are actually using that time to craft. I haven't. I feel like I've wasted this week due to not feeling 100%. If anything, I've been feeling a bit discombobulated. So I give you random photos that I took with my new iPhone, along with random thoughts for today...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div>- I've been feeling quite fatigued all week and have spent more time napping than crafting...or housework.<br /><br />- all day yesterday I thought it was Thursday, so today feels like Friday to me.<br /><br />- I'm a little bummed that today isn't Friday.<br /><br />- I'm s.l.o.w.l.y plugging away on <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/12/wip-smokin.html">Smokin'</a>. How far away is Christmas?</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-sRZwW5eHFIQ/TupZaLqtK5I/AAAAAAAAAP0/Yzq3TWF0nLU/s640/blogger-image--279885262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-sRZwW5eHFIQ/TupZaLqtK5I/AAAAAAAAAP0/Yzq3TWF0nLU/s640/blogger-image--279885262.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I've been doing pretty darn well in not knitting anything other than Brett's sweater. But I am getting the evil eyes from all my other WIPs. I think I need to either zip them back up in their bags or shove them into the yarn closet for now.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- is it sad to say that I'm pretty stoked about knitting up Brett's cardigan not only cause he's finally letting me knit him something other than a hat, but the fact that I'm getting a bag of yarn out of the stash? We're talking about 16 balls of yarn here!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I think my stash is starting to overwhelm me.<br /><br />- I found out that my current medical condition has made me go from heat tolerant to cold tolerant. Now I know why I've been extremely and overly cold these past few months. Definitely explains why I just can't seem to get warm!<br /><br />- I've resorted to wearing the fancy long johns that I wore when I lived in Finland under everything. Even when I'm home.<br /><br />- I've rarely left the house all week due to the fact that I'm freezing cold and being outside just amplifies that.<br /><br />- I'm feeling so freaking cold that I've even contemplated ditching my usual warm winter jackets for the puffy North Face coat that makes me look like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stay_Puft_Marshmallow_Man">Stay Puft Marshmallow Man</a>. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">- when I go to bed at night I end up just lying there, tossing and turning. I can't seem to turn my brain off. I don't even know what's been plaguing my mind. It's just in constant think-mode and all that I've tried has yet to result in anything. This has been happening all.week.long. Does this happen to anyone else? I keep a notebook that I like to jot random things down into so that I can sort them out or refer to later. Kinda like an inspiration book. I've been filling that book up and I'm not even sure if half of it makes any sense.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I've been staying away from the computer as much as possible these past few days, cause I always get sucked into the time warp of surfing and am always amazed as to how much time I've wasted. By staying away from the computer, not only have I gotten a lot accomplished than I normally do in the day time, but my wallet is starting to like me too!</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-srLM51LlKY0/TupZasgENxI/AAAAAAAAAP8/m2eqxTITpRo/s640/blogger-image-731805760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-srLM51LlKY0/TupZasgENxI/AAAAAAAAAP8/m2eqxTITpRo/s640/blogger-image-731805760.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I've come up with a "crafting schedule" and am going to test it out next week...since Brett's brother will be visiting this weekend. It'll be interesting to see if it'll work out.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I've also come up with a rough draft of my "crafting plans" for 2012. There are so many patterns that I want to knit up, so many sewing projects that I want to do, but always get sidetracked or spend more time trying to figure out what to do next than actually doing it. I'm hoping that by listing my project priorities that I'll get more done and less procrastinating.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I'm hoping to bake some sugar cookies today, but can't seem to find my piping bag and tips. I was really hoping to learn how to "flood" cookies today. Might have to go the "poor baker's" route and just use a Ziplock bag with a corner snipped off.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I was hoping to bake a ton of cookies, but fear that I'll eat them all before I'm able to give them away.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I need to find the cable to my camera.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I realized that my notions case is getting too small and I'm needing more stitch markers than normal. I could remedy this by either knitting up all my current WIPs and reclaim those markers back, or start using a second case...I do have extra cases in my yarn closet, but I'm thinking I might have to make a trip to the closest sports department and check out the fishing tackle box section...what does everyone else use?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-viTCdMupZTg/TupZbG8kJ-I/AAAAAAAAAQM/s4keIQJTdTE/s640/blogger-image--1473728356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-viTCdMupZTg/TupZbG8kJ-I/AAAAAAAAAQM/s4keIQJTdTE/s640/blogger-image--1473728356.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- with my monogamous knitting, there's not much to blog about knitting-wise.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">- I'm hoping my next blog post will be more exciting!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-90636386491679722772011-12-13T13:03:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:04:34.150-08:00WIP: Smokin'<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6507365587/" title="Smokin' Yarn by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6507365587_c241524de2_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Smokin' Yarn" /></a></span></div>So...I just realized that Christmas is only less than two weeks away and you know what? For once, I'm not stressed out! Brett and I have made it really easy on ourselves this year and have decided to not only stay home again (yay for not having to deal with the <a href="http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/coquihalla/index.htm">Coquihalla</a>!), but we thought we'd nix getting presents for each other and just</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"> join forces and buy a new TV (and entertainment center). We've been thinking and wanting a new TV for so long but weren't in a hurry to get one. Until the TV that we had conked out and made the decision for us to get a new one right now. Thanks TV!</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Since neither of us need anything in particular (we've been conscious about what's coming into the house ever since we started purging), and the things we want we would just buy ourselves (although, I would never turn down gifts of yarn...unless it was Red Heart. Ew.), we thought we would then turn our gifting attention to the Munchkin. Even our families have made it super easy by requesting nothing and instead asked that we use the money we would have spent on their gifts for things for the Munchkin. I went even further in the stress reduction and had started buying the kiddo gifts since September. Hells yeah for not having to deal with the mall and for not having to scramble for last minute presents!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">It was glorious that all weekend all I did was knit and enjoy quality family time. My sewing machine saw me a few times, but no late-night benders happened. Instead, I got to snuggle with Brett, and in the mornings the Munchkin would sneak into our bed and we would have family cuddle time for a bit before the Munchkin realizes that he'd rather be downstairs eating Cheerios and playing with trains than be with his dorky parents! I'm thinking for my sanity (and health) I should sew every fourth night. Hmmm...maybe I should do either a calendar or spreadsheet and figure out fabric cutting, sewing, and serious knitting days. I mean yeah, I knit throughout the day but I really like having a huge chunk of time to spend with my knitting needles and getting a ton done. Hmm...that's something to consider...a craft calendar...interesting.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Anyhoo, I digress. I do have holiday baking to get started on, and I did promise Brett that I would knit him a sweater. But we both have the understanding that the sweater isn't really a Christmas present and therefore I don't need to knit at break neck speeds to get it done for the 25th. Yet, I would love to surprise him by having it done by then anyways. Two weeks? I think it can totally be do-able. As long as I don't knit on anything other than his sweater. I'm staring at you, you other projects! Don't get in my way and try to tempt me into knitting you up!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">What have I got done so far? Just this:</span></div></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6507365863/" title="WIP - Smokin by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6507365863_f5828271fd.jpg" width="405" height="500" alt="WIP - Smokin" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Yeah...not much. Just 17.5" of garter and stockinette. When I first measured Brett he had wanted the body to be 18" long. But then after re-measuring and placing what I had knitted up against him, he decided maybe he'd want this to be more smoking jacket like and have the length to match. So why not make it 22.5" long? Crap. That extra length puts a damper on my knitting schedule. My plan is to knit like a fiend today and get the body done and hopefully start and get half of the first sleeve knitted up. I'</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">m giving myself two days to knit it, then another two days to knit the second. That's reasonable, right? No rush, right? I have a plan people. I think I can do this. I just need to stay on track.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">So far this pattern has been easy peasy. Seriously, the body didn't even have any increases or decreases. Yet I'm not looking forward to knitting the saddle shoulders. I read that this pattern is pretty vague on the instructions on how to knit that part. A lot of people on Ravelry claimed that they had to go elsewhere to learn how to knit the saddle shoulder. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't run into any problems. But knowing my luck, it'll be smooth sailing and I'll get my hopes up high thinking I can totally get this finished in time. Until the shoulders. That's when the proverbial shit hits the fan and I'll be screwed and then this entire project will get thrown into a plastic shopping bag and shoved into the back of my closet. That'll teach the project for being a difficult arse!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Cross your fingers for me that this won't happen. Please?</span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-66956948300195445882011-12-10T07:23:00.000-08:002011-12-12T20:57:55.003-08:00Finished: Stockholm<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463899869/" title="Stockholm by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6463899869_afba42e379_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Stockholm" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Hee, hee, hee...ok, this is just for Natalie:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">"Oh look, another FO!", uttered in a nonchalant tone of voice whilst eyelashes are batting away innocently.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Ok, so what? Yes, it's another FO, dammit! But in my defense this was finished weeks and weeks ago in hopes of making a KAL deadline (which it didn't cause it took forever and a day to dry and I couldn't get proper photos of it taken before the KAL was over), and I still didn't get the chance to take photos of it until the other day. When the family and I came home after grocery shopping. And the Munchkin was fast asleep in the truck. And Brett was actually willing to take the photos - albeit for only 5 minutes (he doesn't understand why I want to take 50 or so photos when only a handful will actually make it onto the blog). I think I would have been better off trying to find the missing little tripod piece that attaches the camera to the tripod than have him take photos. We're talking major artistic differences here. His patience had run thin pretty fast (he thought 4 photos was enough, I didn't think so) and he was getting hungry. So this post only gets a measly two photos. Sorry. No FO eye candy. Not this time.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Anyhoo, there's really not much to say about this project that I haven't already said in the <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/11/wip-stockholm.html">last post</a> about it. Even though it was a relaxing knit and the pattern was extremely easy to memorize to the point where it just became intuitive, I did feel like I was in a knitting black hole. Mind you, one should never measure their work after only knitting half a round. Cause then it <b>really</b> feels like you're getting nowhere. Trust me.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">In total I used 3 skeins of yarn for this (with no idea what to do with the fourth skein...ugh, leftover yarn!), and had used the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss10/FEATss10TT.php">spit splicing method</a> to join in new yarns, which worked beyond perfectly on this single ply yarn. I didn't knit the full 14", instead I stopped at the 13" mark. I know, I know...you're probably thinking that I copped out and should have just gone that extra inch to do the full width. Well, technically I could've but I didn't want to have to break into the fourth skein just so that I could do one more round before binding off. Oh! And the bind off. Man, it took the last half of knit night to bind this bad boy off. So.many.stitches! But oh, did it ever feel so good to bind off that last stitch! I was so happy that I had even whipped out my darning needle and <b>wove in my ends right then and there</b>! Crazy, I know. But that's how happy I was to finish this project! It was just that glorious! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy knitting this pattern, cause I truly did. Every time I stopped to look at my work I would silently marvel at how lovely the lace is and how ingenious it was that the whole thing was reversible. The more I worked on it, the more I fell in love with the colour. But what I didn't like? The fact that my yarn was shedding like a mofo. I don't know what's up with me and shedding yarns lately, but I was constantly picking fibres from out of my mouth, and every two seconds I was rubbing my nose and trying to swat away the rogue fibres that felt the need to attach themselves to my nostrils. I should have looked at the yarn label more closely because the mohair content totally eluded me and I was wondering what kind of evil sheep sheds this much unruly fibre. The mohair fooled me again when I went to soak and block this cowl. I knew that yarn dyed red can bleed a bit during the soaking process, so I wasn't all that shocked when I went to take the cowl out of its bath and saw pink water. What did shock me was the fact that the yarn dyed the towels red while I tried to squeeze the excess water out, and then after <b>four days</b> of drying and I was finally able to unpin this beauty from the blocking mats I saw the perfect bright red rectangle stain on my towels. Seriously. A perfect rectangle. Bright red. I had immediately scooped up the towels in hopes of shoving them into the washing machine pronto to see if I can save them when I discovered that the yarn had also dyed the blocking mat where the cowl was!! It was just red everywhere I looked. Being paranoid that the dye would transfer to other projects while they dried, I quickly attacked the area with a Magic Eraser and went at it like a crazy woman. I love Magic Eraser. I really do. Thank you Mr. Clean for saving my sanity.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Back to the cowl. So the lace blocked out beautifully. I was ecstatic that the lace opened up so nicely and that the yarn had softened enough that it wasn't über scratchy like it was in skein form. But I did over do it on the blocking front. I know I'm an overly aggressive blocker, like, to the max. Yet I should have held back on this. I had tugged and pulled it so freakin much that it stretched out a fair bit and now the cowl needs to be worn wrapped around my neck three times. Not that I don't mind, cause it definitely fights off any chill that tries to creep into my jacket, but I had this vision in my head that I would look as lovely and elegant as Julie (the designer of this cowl) in her pattern photo...with the cowl draped oh so effortlessly chic-ly with no weird gapes between the wraps. I could re-block the cowl, but I don't want to go through that red fiasco again.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">That, and I'm too lazy too.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463900031/" title="Stockholm 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6463900031_9f778bddee.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Stockholm 2" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><b>Cowl Details:</b></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.knittedbliss.com/2010/11/pattern-stockholm-scarf.html">Stockholm Scarf </a>by <a href="http://www.knittedbliss.com/">Knitted Bliss</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Yarn:</b> <a href="http://www.brownsheep.com/">Brown Sheep</a> Lamb's Pride Worsted</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Colour:</b> Spice</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Needles:</b> Knit Picks Harmony Wood Interchangeables in 6mm (US 10)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Ravelry Link:</b> <a href="http://ravel.me/MisoCraftyKnits/f4zhk">MisoCraftyKnits' Stockholm</a></span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-86503269507294615562011-12-08T12:46:00.000-08:002011-12-08T13:41:46.382-08:00Finished: Shannon Cowl<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463893327/" title="Shannon by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6463893327_e06550a308_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="Shannon" /></a></span></div>Well hello quick knit! Here's another project that I decided to quickly cast on for and made me ditch current WIPs that I have on the needles. And yes, before you ask, this is another <a href="http://janerichmond.blogspot.com/">Jane Richmond</a> pattern. I told you I'm obsessing over her patterns, didn't I? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Even though my <a href="http://ravel.me/MisoCraftyKnits/avyv2">Ravelry project page</a> says that this took a day to knit, it actually took about <b>2 hours total</b> of knitting time. I had cast on in the morning before leaving the house to run errands, worked on it in the car throughout the day, and then kitchener stitched the whole thing together the next afternoon. I'm pretty sure I could have finished it within a day had I not been out and about and then having to fix a 3 year old's train track set every 5 minutes before and after dinner.</span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463893911/" title="Shannon - Closeup 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6463893911_dfef6fc767.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Shannon - Closeup 2" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Two things about this project: </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1. I actually had the yarn called for in the pattern in my craft box. I had bought the yarn pre-Munchkin with the hopes of turning it into a cute little <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bedfellows">Bedfellow</a> animal like the ones I made the summer I was pregnant, which you can see <a href="http://ravel.me/MisoCraftyKnits/i8dib">here</a> and <a href="http://ravel.me/MisoCraftyKnits/dytl2">here</a>. Obviously, that never happened and so the yarn just languished in a bin full of random craft supplies in a closet. 'Til now.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">2. Every time I look at this cowl I will forever be reminded of WIlson Phillips. Why? Cause I had listened to <a href="http://youtu.be/uIbXvaE39wM">Hold On</a> and <a href="http://youtu.be/AfpH12URP2s">Impulsive</a> on repeat. The entire day. Seriously. I kid you not. I blame it on <a href="http://www.bridesmaidsmovie.com/index.php">Bridesmaids</a>. I think I've watched that movie like, 10 times already. For reals.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463893105/" title="Shannon - Side by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6463893105_833d6e611e.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Shannon - Side" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Anyhoo, when I first saw this pattern I fell in love with the oversized cables. I love cables. How they look and knitting them up. I just love them. So I knew that I was going to eventually be knitting this pattern up, it was just a matter of when. Thank you Jane, for making it sooner than later! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">Even though I love cables, I think I screwed up the cable section. Eep! I think I had skipped a repeat in my excitement of knitting up this pattern and in my haste to get this done so that I could wear it pronto. True story: I had to use a 9mm crochet hook to act as my cable needle. My actual cable needles kept sliding off for some reason and I can never find a DPN when I need one. Another true story: I kinda felt awkward while knitting this cowl. I'm so not used to working with straight needles. At all. I'm a circular needle girl all the way. I don't think I've used straight needles in at least 4 years. And such chunky straights at that. I felt like I was knitting with broomstick handles. I'm even surprised that I still had straight needles in the knitting basket!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463892807/" title="Shannon - Closeup by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6463892807_c54e101897.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Shannon - Closeup" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I absolutely love this cowl, but think I'm going to have to re-knit it using a different yarn. As much as I love the colour (it's grey! I think I'm still in a grey phase) and the tweedy yumminess (I'll always love tweed), I find that it sheds way too much and I constantly have to fish out the practically invisible fibre filaments out of my eyes and from in and around my mouth. I just have to find the right yarn(s)...from what I have in my stash. Long story short, I really have to start knitting from stash! More on that in another post.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">My only mod was that I did a crochet provisional cast on. Simply because my sewing skills aren't up to par and thought grafting the stitches together would be much easier for me. And it was. You can't tell where the ends were joined! Yay! When I do make another Shannon I think I would do another repeat of the cable (just cause they are so nummy) and make it slightly shorter in length so that it'll</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "> hug my neck a little more.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">I think this is a super cute cowl and is great for when you want to add a little something something to an ensemble. Can't you tell that I took these photos the same day I took photos for my <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/12/finished-chocolate-oatmeal.html">Chocolate Oatmeal</a> pullover? Actually, I wore this outfit the entire day. Not only was it so comfy and cozy, but I was actually <i>warm</i>. Something I've rarely been since the weather has gotten so nasty cold on us. If and when it gets colder, at least now I'll be prepared!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463893627/" title="Shannon 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6463893627_33ccccaee8.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Shannon 2" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Cowl Details:</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://janerichmond.blogspot.com/2011/11/shannon.html">Shannon</a> by <a href="http://janerichmond.blogspot.com/">Jane Richmond</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Yarn:</b> Lion Brand Thick &amp; Quick</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Colour:</b> Grey Marl</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Needles:</b> Susan Bates Straights in 12.75mm (US 17)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Ravelry Link:</b> <a href="http://ravel.me/MisoCraftyKnits/avyv2">MisoCraftyKnits' Shannon</a></span></div></div></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-78880674238326459162011-12-07T11:35:00.000-08:002011-12-07T12:14:16.657-08:00Finished: Chocolate Oatmeal<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463876645/" title="Chocolate Oatmeal Pullover by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6463876645_8f17a2f0ea_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Chocolate Oatmeal Pullover" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I'm not going to lie to you. I have several projects on the needles and really, I had no business dropping them all in favour of something quick and new. Especially when I have more pressing projects in the line up that should have been casted on before this one. Like Brett's sweater. Darn that stupid sweater. And it's only about 4 garter ridges and a buttonhole in. Not enough to even look like anything. But at least I started it, that's all that matters, right? Well, instead of knitting on presents I decided to knit on this (look up and take note of the photo at the beginning of this post...oohh...why did I say that line in my head like I was the Old Spice guy?). </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Yes, my friends. It's a <a href="http://janerichmond.blogspot.com/">Jane Richmond</a> pattern. If you remembered from the <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/12/november-obsessions.html">November Obsessions</a> post I had mentioned that I'm seriously obsessing over her patterns right now. I had been wanting to knit Jane's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/oatmeal-pullover">Oatmeal Pullover</a> since forever but couldn't find the right yarn that I wanted to work with and wasn't too fond of trying to double up yarn to meet the bulky gauge requirements (re: I'm lazy like that). So the second that <a href="http://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/">SweetGeorgia Yarns</a> added the <a href="http://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/products/superwash-chunky">Superwash Chunky</a> to their yarn line up, I knew that this yarn just had to be knit into an Oatmeal Pullover.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463876967/" title="Chocolate Oatmeal Pullover - Shoulder by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6463876967_98481302f2.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Chocolate Oatmeal Pullover - Shoulder" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Both the pattern and the yarn had knit up ridiculously fast. If I wasn't such a fickle knitter and had concentrated on just this project, I'm sure this pullover would have been a weekend knit. Instead, I took days off from it so that I could work on other projects and so that I could sew. I would pick this up again when I was needing something to concentrate on when I wanted to procrastinate on cutting fabric, or I brought this along with me when the Munchkin dragged me into his bedroom so that I could watch him play with his trains (heavens forbid that I touch his trains though! I'm allowed to only watch, not touch...I guess until I learn that I can't keep making the trains kiss the Munchkin). This pattern is by no means a boring knit, it works up way too quickly for you to even gather a thought about it. I seriously had blinked and was surprised that I had to separate the sleeves from the body. Yeah, it's that quick.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I'll admit that a quarter of the way into the body I was starting to second guess the whole project. My pullover was looking extremely small and like it could fit the Munchkin. It's times like these that make me so glad that I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">had bought the extra accessories for my interchangeable needle set, cause instead of putting my live stitches on waste yarn or switching to a circular with a longer cable, I had simply screwed on a cable connector and added another cable so that I could try on the pullover. And you know what? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Hallelujah! The pullover, well, what I had so far, fits! Although, I did tink back to the underarms so that I could add a few more stitches. I have "meaty" arms and thought I would need the room (I did) in the sleeves.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463877269/" title="Chocolate Oatmeal Pullover - Hems by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6463877269_cb3030f6fb.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Chocolate Oatmeal Pullover - Hems" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The entire time I was knitting this up, I was über paranoid that I was going to run out of yarn. I was pleasantly surprised as to how far one skein went - I managed to get to the 3.5" mark into the body from the underarm with the first skein before having to add the second skein (FYI, this is a top down pattern). The pullover was moving along nicely and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">I had finished the stockinette portion of the body and started on the ribbing before paranoia had set in again and decided to start working on the sleeves before making a decision as to how long I should make the body. I figured once I got the sleeves to a certain point I could gauge how long I could make the body. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">I managed to cast off the entire project with only 5 grams of yarn left over! That's a mere 6 yards of yarn left unused! I'm pretty happy with the length of both the sleeves and the body and so glad that I didn't need a fifth skein or had to shorten anything. Oh! And can I mention how I joined the skeins? Normally I use the <a href="http://community.knitpicks.com/notes/Joining_Yarn_-_Russian_Join">Russian Join</a> method of attaching new yarn but didn't want to use this method this time around because the Superwash Chunky is so bulky. Instead I decided to give Jane's Magic Knot a try. Um...can you say genius?? Pure genius-ness I tell you! I was apprehensive at first cause I have the worst luck when it comes to things that aren't suppose to show, show up for me. Not this time around! I used the Magic Knot to join the skeins throughout this entire project and not once did I have an issue. I urge you all to check out Jane's tutorial on this brilliant technique, which you can see <a href="http://janerichmond.blogspot.com/p/tutorials.html">here</a> (scroll all the way down) or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nq_7EXTWHE">here</a>. Seriously, it'll blow your mind and can possibly change how you join new yarn!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Aside from adding a few extra sleeves at the underarm, I didn't do any mods. Ok, I did decreases at the elbows so that the 2x2 ribbing would match up all around and didn't do the decreases called for in the body. But that's it. No actual modifications. I didn't need to. This pattern is perfect as is. I thought I would need to do waist shaping but because of the negative ease I didn't have to. My most favourite part? The negative ease doesn't hug and showcase weird bumps and bulges, like say around your mid section.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463877525/" title="Chocolate Oatmeal Pullover - Back by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6463877525_2963a2f6c3.jpg" width="500" height="346" alt="Chocolate Oatmeal Pullover - Back" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I'm thoroughly pleased with how this pullover turned out. I didn't think I would ever make myself a simple brown pullover, but I absolutely love this shade of brown. My photos look a little washed out (the weather was meh for photo taking) but in real life the brown is actually deep and rich. I think this pullover is a classic staple and can already see a ton of ways to wear it, for different seasons too. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">After a good soak and a light blocking (yes, I do know how to block lightly. Although I did have to restrain myself from tugging and pulling the crap out of this!), the pullover is absolutely perfect. And the yarn...oh how the yarn softened up and slightly bloomed a bit. The entire pullover now feels like a perpetual cuddly hug and I have to refrain from wrapping my arms around myself, lest I look like an asylum escapee! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">This pullover has already gotten plenty of wear ever since it came off the blocking mats. It's in some serious rotation with my newest <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/11/finished-owls-v20.html">Owls</a> sweater and <a href="http://missmelissak.blogspot.com/2011/11/finished-georgia.html">Georgia</a> cardigan. I swear, I really do have other clothing and other sweaters. It's just that this cold weather is making me crave nothing but comfy pullovers...and how could I not wear yummy MCN that Georgia is made out of?? My craving is wanting me to knit even more pullovers. Really. I'm already planning on knitting another Oatmeal. I got the yarn lined up and ready to go but promised myself that I couldn't cast on until Brett's sweater is almost finished. But definitely know that you'll be seeing a few more Oatmeal Pullovers on this here blog in the future!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6463877773/" title="Chocolate Oatmeal Pullover 2 by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6463877773_3c939e238d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Chocolate Oatmeal Pullover 2" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Pullover Details:</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/oatmeal-pullover">Oatmeal Pullover</a> by Jane Richmond</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Yarn:</b> <a href="http://shop.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/">SweetGeorgia Yarns</a> Superwash Chunky</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Colour:</b> Bison</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Needles: </b>Knit Picks Harmony Wood Interchangeable in 6mm (US 10) and 6.5mm (US 10.5)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>Ravelry Link: </b><a href="http://ravel.me/MisoCraftyKnits/b1yg4">MisoCraftyKnits Chocolate Oatmeal</a></span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3403443356861380160.post-26407027630692459622011-12-06T06:02:00.000-08:002011-12-06T06:02:00.302-08:00Slugg...ish...<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6465223221/" title="Crafty Pirates Project Bags by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6465223221_9252547a6b_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Crafty Pirates Project Bags" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I just realized that Christmas is less than three weeks away and I've only <b>just</b> cast on for Brett's Christmas gift a few days ago. I am SO not going to finish in time. And you know what? I think I'm alright with that. Brett doesn't even care that the sweater won't be waiting for him under the tree on Christmas Day, he's just stoked that I'm even knitting him a sweater in the first place. The pressure to get it done is all on me. But you know what? I'm going to put that pressure into a bubble and just blow it away. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I feel <b>much</b> better now. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">A few days leading up to, and all weekend long I didn't feel so great. I was extremely sluggish and spent 99% of the time fighting my eyelids to stay open. For a while there I thought my week-long stint of staying up 'til the wee hours of the morning sewing my arse off finally caught up to me, hence the glacial speed I was moving at all weekend. I think I need to keep telling myself that I'm not as young as I used to be and that the days of pulling all-nighters are far, far behind me (not to mention that I no longer have the old school episodes of <a href="http://www.tv.com/shows/saved-by-the-bell/">Saved by the Bell</a> to keep me up, like it did back in university! <a href="http://youtu.be/0usTtwwTqVM">This</a> episode was by far the most favourite amongst us fashion girls. Hell, I <b>still</b> think about that scene when I'm under pressure and on a deadline!). I honestly thought maybe I was coming down with something. Yesterday I was sort of relieved when my endocrinologist told me that my TSH levels were pretty darn low and that my fatigued state was due to my thyroid acting up. Phew, it's nice to know exactly why I'm channeling the ways of a snail but boo erns that my thyroid is acting up again.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">So what I've really been meaning to say is that I did absolutely <b>nothing</b> all weekend. Nothing. Hell, I spent most of Saturday in my pyjamas! Brett had to go away for the weekend with his bosses to help out with one of their offices, so it was just me and the Munchkin holding down the fort. I had grand plans to get a crap load of stuff done and had a list of places to visit. Yeah...that didn't happen. To tell you the truth, we didn't really get to go anywhere either. Mainly cause <b>someone</b> didn't want to put on socks <b>or</b> their shoes <i>ahemMunchkinahem</i> and I was feeling way too exhausted to deal with that battle. Although, aside from his aversion to footwear and the occasional pair of pants, the Munchkin was actually really well-behaved all weekend and was content and at times thoroughly engrossed in playing with my hair clips and assorted kitchen tongs to help him pick up any toy that he could with them. Mainly little cars and his trains. Kids...such interesting little creatures, they are.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Anyhoo, I feel like I totally wasted a weekend since I didn't sew or knit a stitch. I take great solace in the fact that before Brett took off I did get some sewing done. I finally dove into the stash of Crafty Pirates fabric that I had kicking around in my sewing closet, and was able to whip up the project bags that you see above. I almost didn't list them in my <a href="http://missmisocrafty.etsy.com">shop</a>. I wanted to keep them for myself. But then I dug into the pile of Japanese imported prints that I have been dying to sew up. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6465223459/" title="Pretty Girls Project Bag by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6465223459_6eefd4ba5c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Pretty Girls Project Bag" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I made two of these "Pretty Girls" bags but only listed one. I'm trying to talk myself out of keeping the second one. So far I've managed to keep the bag in the sewing room, tucked behind another bag. Out of sight, out of mind, right?? Maybe I'll forget that it's even there. While I was digging around the stash I came up with some Christmas fabric that I had purchased a ton of last year with the (high) hope of sewing a bunch of drawstring bags to use in place of wrapping paper. Obviously that didn't happen. Hmm...maybe next year? Instead I've used some of it to make a really cute and festive bag for holiday knitting projects. I guess I could make a bunch and put gifts into it. It would be way more work than simple drawstring bags. Oh, who am I kidding?? I'd make sure all those gifts would go to me so that I could keep the freakin' bags, regardless what kind they are. <small>Does that make me a bad person?</small> Shh...I don't want to know. Admit it. Secretly, you'd keep them too!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25295484@N03/6465223311/" title="Winter Woodlands Project Bag by Miso Crafty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6465223311_cdbd0d52e1.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Winter Woodlands Project Bag" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">These bags are going to have to suffice and quench my need to sew for at least a week...until I can feel somewhat "normal" again. Please note that this post took me a few hours to write cause I kept dozing off. Hmm...maybe I'm narcoleptic and not a sufferer of Graves' Disease? Does this post even make sense?? I'll put it on record right now: I'm sorry if anyone got messages or emails from me over the weekend that either didn't make sense or was just one long run-on sentence. Or something that resembled a drunk phone call, but in email form. I was not of right mind.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Luckily Brett is back and I've been able to take naps here and there without worrying about the Munchkin not being supervised (although, the worse he's ever done is spill an entire box of cereal on the floor in an attempt to open the bag...oh wait, I forgot about the time he used a blue ink pen to scribble all over a leather handbag...grrr). I <b>finally</b> got around to taking some photos of some knitting FOs that I can't wait to share, and I promise that I'll share them in the next few days. I've decided to take this week off from sewing and concentrate on knitting. I'm hoping my energy will return and I can get mucho knitting accomplished.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">For now, I'm going to go back to bed and sleep for a few more hours. I am so sorry if this post is pure crap.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Ok Scottie. Beam me up.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Over and out.</span></div>Melissa @ Miso Crafty Knitshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03296391618385176362noreply@blogger.com2